TUTTLINGEN, Germany, Apr 14, 2016 – CHIRON America, Inc. has announced Dirk Zikeli as new chief executive officer. Mr. Zikeli has 25 years of service within CHIRON. Mr. Zikeli previously served as CHIRON America’s chief operating officer, and was appointed to the position of chief executive officer by the board of directors. Former CEO, Mr. Crispin Taylor, will now serve as managing director of STAMA in Schlierbach, Germany.

“I am very excited about this opportunity to serve our customers, dedicated employees, distributors and industry specialists that promote the quality products and services provided by CHIRON. It is a great honor to accept this position,” says Zikeli.

Mr. Zikeli was born and raised in Tuttlingen, Germany, and joined CHIRON in 1986 through an apprenticeship program. He moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1994 as part of the leadership team that established CHIRON’s presence in North America. Mr. Zikeli became a United States citizen in 2010, and recently earned his MBA from McColl School of Business.

About CHIRON-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG

Established in 1921, CHIRON-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG, with headquarters in Tuttlingen, Germany, is a world leader among suppliers of vertical machining centers and employs more than 1,300 people worldwide. CHIRON America, Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina, provides the machining centers with full turnkey systems for markets in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Customers are from automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering, medical, and consumer products.

For more information, please visit CHIRON website.