Cherry SE appoints Alexander Hecker as Senior Vice President Global Peripherals

Munich, 16 January 2025 – Alexander Hecker will take over the position of Senior Vice President Global Peripherals of the newly designed business at CHERRY on February 1, 2025. Peripherals combines the sales and marketing of all products from the gaming, office, hygiene, and security sectors for a uniform go-to-market approach in our sales channels, thus creating the basis for organic growth.

Alexander Hecker, an experienced multi-channel expert, will lead the new Peripherals business segment while simultaneously joining the Cherry SE management team as Managing Director of Cherry S.A.R.L. in France and Cherry Americas LLC.

Thierry Ondet, who was originally scheduled to assume the position in January 2025, is unfortunately unable to do so due to personal reasons. CHERRY deeply regrets this development.

With the new structure in Peripherals, sales and marketing of all products from the gaming, office, hygiene and security sectors are bundled centrally in order to sustainably increase efficiency and competitiveness. Cherry SE is thus focusing on synchronized sales strategies, creating clearly structured access to the products for partners and end customers and laying the foundation for the long-term growth of the important Peripherals segment.

With Alexander Hecker, CHERRY has gained a multi-channel strategist with over 25 years of industry experience. His track record speaks for itself: during his time at Sonos, he was able to establish the brand and innovative go-to-market concepts in retail, achieve growth of >3,500% and win over 1.7 million households. His tech know-how, as well as his relevant sales and marketing expertise - shaped by stints at Eora, Sonos, Microsoft and Sony - make him the ideal person to drive the company's strategic development.

Focus on Growth and Global Synergies

Alexander’s responsibilities will include launching a new partner program for the Peripherals business, aimed at building a sustainable distributor and retailer network across Europe. Priority markets include Benelux, Iberia, France, the UK, the Nordics, Poland, and the DACH region.

Additionally, close collaboration with CHERRY Americas and CHERRY APAC will create synergies to accelerate the international growth of the CHERRY brand. A key focus will also be enhancing the brand awareness of Cherry Peripherals, positioning the brand more prominently. CHERRY’s reputation for superior product quality, innovation, and user-friendliness is well established, and these values will be further emphasized through targeted marketing and sales initiatives.

Management Perspectives

Alexander sees significant potential in his new role at CHERRY:
“I am thrilled to take on this new challenge at CHERRY. It feels like coming home to a dynamic and familiar industry, reconnecting with former colleagues and exploring exciting new partnerships. CHERRY has tremendous potential, and the market is ready for another strong player. I thank the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board for their trust and eagerly anticipate starting this journey. Together with the entire team, I am committed to driving the business forward and elevating it to the next level.”

Oliver Kaltner, CEO of Cherry SE, emphasizes the significance of this appointment:
“We are delighted to announce Alexander Hecker as a top-level addition to our leadership team. He is a highly respected multi-channel expert who has achieved outstanding success with our partners over decades in various tech and consumer electronics companies. His accomplishments, particularly with Sonos, stand out. Alexander Hecker joins CHERRY at a pivotal moment as we embark on newly defined business plans for the Peripherals unit. At the same time, I want to express our regret that Thierry Ondet is unable to take up his post due to personal reasons. We remain in close contact and wish him all the best, both professionally and personally, for 2025.”

About Cherry SE

Cherry SE [ISIN: DE000A3CRRN9] is a global manufacturer of high-end switches for mechanical keyboards and computer input devices such as keyboards, mice, and headsets for applications in the fields of Gaming & E-Sports, Office & Hybrid Workplaces, Industry, and Healthcare. Since its founding in 1953, Cherry has been known for innovative, high-quality products specifically designed to meet diverse customer needs.

Cherry’s operational headquarters is in Auerbach in der Oberpfalz (Bavaria) and it employs staff in production facilities in Auerbach, Zhuhai (China), and Vienna (Austria), as well as several sales offices in Auerbach (Germany), Munich (Germany), Landskrona (Sweden), Paris (France), Kenosha (USA), Chicago (USA), Hongkong (China), Taipei (China) and Shanghai (China).

For more information, visit: https://ir.cherry.de/en/

Contact

Cherry SE

Nicole Schillinger

Investor Relations

P: Rosental 7, c/o Mindspace, 80331 Munich

T: +49 (0) 9643 2061 848

E: ir@cherry.de