Ingolf Thom Now Leads Corporate HR at the ZEISS Group

Oberkochen, Germany | 01 October | ZEISS Group

On October 1, 2026, Ingolf Thom became Head of Corporate Human Resources at the ZEISS Group and succeeded Dr. Florian Mezger. In this role, Thom reports to Andreas Pecher, President and CEO of the ZEISS Group.

Man wearing glasses and a dark suit smiling while leaning on a railing in a modern bright office building

Most recently, Ingolf Thom served as Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Safety at Huhtamaki, a global leader in sustainable packaging. Before that, he served as Chief Human Resources Officer at the K+S Group. Prior to that, he spent 16 years in various leadership and change management roles in human resources at The Dow Chemical Company in Europe, India, the Asia-Pacific region, and North America. Ingolf Thom studied business administration in Germany and the United States and holds an MBA in international management.

Ingolf Thom is a globally experienced human resources manager with extensive leadership experience gained both at global corporate headquarters and in local market organizations. He brings experience in aligning people strategy with business priorities and in steering organizations through complex transformative changes.

In spring 2026, Dr. Florian Mezger succeeded Georg von Erffa and took on the leadership of Corporate Human Resources at the ZEISS Group in addition to his other responsibilities. As planned, he is now once again a member of the Leadership Team at the Industrial Quality & Research segment, where he heads Human Resources. We sincerely thank him for his outstanding work.

Press contact Jörg Nitschke

Head of Corporate Brand, Communications and Public Affairs
ZEISS Group

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling almost 12 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, and Consumer Markets (September 30, 2025).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces, and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses, and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare, and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 14 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 47,400 employees, ZEISS is active globally in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service locations, around 40 research and development facilities, and 30 production facilities worldwide (March 31, 2026). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com