Mark Schneider, who has been overseeing Investor Relations, communications, and marketing at Deutz since March, is still relatively new to the PR/IR industry. The experienced business journalist switched fields only in 2017. Despite this, the 51-year-old has tackled a number of investor focused issues in this time that some IR colleagues might not encounter in their entire careers. Deutz is already Schneider's third position in his seven-year journey as a communicator.

Although the Hamburg native has been with the Cologne-based engine manufacturer for just six months, these 180 days have been eventful. „The first few months at Deutz were a trial by fire“, the PR professional admits candidly. The reason: Deutz CEO Sebastian Schulte has launched a rigorous transformation programme, being implemented at a breakneck pace.

The publication of the first-quarter report was immediately followed by the annual general meeting, which was itself a prelude to the 160th-anniversary celebration – with a ceremony in Cologne and political figures in attendance. Meanwhile, internally, preparations were underway for the acquisition of Blue Star Power Systems in the US, a manufacturer of power generators, marking the entry into a new energy sector. Deutz also raised funds through a capital increase. Thus, there was plenty of work on all fronts.

„I benefited from the fact that as a journalist I learnt to work under time pressure“, says Schneider, who made a name for himself in the automotive industry at „Handelsblatt“ and „Bilanz“. Although the father of two sons developed his passion for Investor Relations through unconventional means, he believes communications and IR in a company are inseparable: „The key to effective communication is consistency – both externally and internally. Hence, having unified leadership for communications and investor relations is a perfect fit“, he argues.

Some disillusionment with the media industry, and the sense that many company stories had been exhausted, ultimately led Schneider to switch careers. „I felt I wasn’t progressing“, he says. „I want to help enable good journalism, but for me that chapter is now closed.“

Schneider began his corporate career at the orthopedic specialist Ottobock. In 2017, Hans Georg Näder, the founder’s grandson who was still managing the company, sought a communications expert to support the company’s IPO journey. With EQT coming on board as a private equity investor that year, the IPO plans were set in motion. Schneider saw this as an ideal opportunity to shift from journalism to the corporate world.

In his role handling press, public relations, and investor relations, Schneider approached the job with enthusiasm. „The new and exciting aspects drew me in“, he says. However, after five years of theoretical IR work, and the IPO plans being shelved after the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022, Schneider felt it was time for a change. In September 2022, he joined the struggling auto supplier Leoni in Nuremberg, also with responsibilities for communications and investor relations.

While Ottobock had limited investor interaction, Schneider quickly encountered the opposite extreme at Leoni. The listed auto supplier faced frequent crisis communication challenges, including negotiating a refinancing plan with banks after a failed M&A deal. „We issued ad-hoc reports almost every month on average“, Schneider recounts from the turbulent days that ultimately led to a pre-insolvency restructuring under the German Stabilization and Restructuring Framework Act (StaRUG). Eventually, Austrian investor Stefan Pierer acquired the company, resulting in its delisting.

After gaining experience in crisis communications, Schneider then turned to Deutz AG, where other challenges await. Despite efforts to diversify, the heavy diesel engine business for commercial vehicles remained the core business for a long time – an aspect that needs explaining from a sustainability perspective. Additionally, the initial excitement about e-motor dreams linked to the acquisition of Torqeedo has faded. Schneider acknowledges that Deutz has lost some investor trust.

He is acutely aware of the importance of sustainability. „Although investors don’t often bring up ESG topics, we aim to be climate-neutral by 2050," he says, which is an ambitious goal. He points out that the sustainability strategy has generated significant interest among the workforce. For Deutz, sustainability means transformation, and „especially in times of transformation, internal communication cannot be valued highly enough“, Schneider believes.