Heidelberg Druck Reshuffles Gallus Leadership as Fresh Orders and Pharma Tie-Up Take Shape

Heidelberg names Michael Bsirske interim CEO of Gallus from 1 Nov 2026, wins two press orders and partners with pfenning-Gruppe on pharma packaging.

Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG is wasting little time in reshaping both the leadership and the commercial footing of its Gallus Group subsidiary. Michael Bsirske will step in as interim Chief Executive Officer of Gallus on 1 November 2026, the company confirmed, while Dario Urbinati moves across to the subsidiary's supervisory board — a body he is set to chair from 1 January 2027.

The shake-up at the top is paired with a change on the sales side. Uwe Boerner took over global sales leadership on 1 October 2026, succeeding Thomas Schweizer. Taken together, the appointments settle both the day-to-day running of the label-printing unit for the months ahead and its longer-term governance.

Two Press Orders Land in the Same Week

Commercial momentum has not stood still. On Tuesday, the NextGen Label Group placed an order for a second Gallus Labelmaster 440, an eight-colour machine that is scheduled to be installed at the start of 2027. Klampfer Druck also opted for a digital printing system, choosing a Jetfire 50 to combine digital and offset output.

Those deals speak to a broader shift in demand. Label manufacturers in particular are pressing for cost-efficient production at small and medium run lengths, and Heidelberg is positioning its expanded portfolio as a way to smooth out the cyclical swings that have long characterised the traditional press business.

Pharma Packaging Becomes a Strategic Beachhead

Alongside the hardware orders, Heidelberg sealed a partnership with the pfenning-Gruppe on Wednesday. The two partners intend to link printing, packaging and data-driven logistics into a single chain for pharmaceutical packaging processes — giving Heidelberg a foothold in a tightly regulated market with specialised process requirements.

Recurring revenue is the other pillar of the strategy. Heidelberg said the integration of manroland sheetfed's lifecycle and service business is running to plan, with the key implementation steps due to be wrapped up within the next 18 months. A steadier service operation is widely seen in the industry as a buffer against fluctuating customer willingness to invest, since servicing installed equipment generates income that is far less exposed to short-term spending freezes.

Trade Shows as a Launchpad

International showcases are next on the agenda. At LOUPE India, running from 29 October to 1 November, Heidelberg will unveil premieres including the Gallus Screeny Printing Unit. Just before that, the company's own SHIFT event takes place on 6 and 7 October, with automation, robotics and digital printing in the spotlight — and, for attendees, concrete insight into digitalisation and automation tailored to hybrid print production.

Share Price Still Searching for a Floor

None of this has yet shifted the mood on the stock market. Heidelberg Druckmaschinen shares ended Friday at EUR 1.41, a modest daily decline of 0.6%. Since the start of the year, the stock has shed 31%. Market participants are watching closely to see whether the operational repositioning can deliver sustainable earnings — a question the coming trade fairs and service integration milestones may help answer.