01/22/2013

QSC AG: Hermann to succeed Schlobohm as CEO

• Jürgen Hermann appointed Chief Executive Officer of QSC AG effective May 30
• Bernd Schlobohm to seek a position in the Supervisory Board of QSC AG

Cologne, January 22, 2013 - In view of the scheduled conclusion of his term of office as Chief Executive Officer of QSC AG on April 30, 2013, Dr. Bernd Schlobohm has requested that the Supervisory Board of QSC AG not extend his term of office beyond the company's Annual Shareholders Meeting planned for May 29, 2013. The Supervisory Board today voted to comply with this request.

Bernd Schlobohm explains his decision this way: "The foundation has been laid for QSC's successful future as a leading ICT provider in Germany. We achieved our corporate goals in 2012: We have significantly advanced the integration of IT companies INFO AG and IP Partner AG into the QSC Group. Today, QSC already possesses an innovative portfolio of ICT products and solutions, as well as a close-knit network of strong distribution partners for the ICT market. In the third quarter of 2012, we recorded the highest level of new orders in our history. With our in-house product developments that relate to the workplace of the future, we are operating in the growth market for Cloud services. Our planned products for energy management from the Cloud offer strong potential as well. I am convinced that we will achieve our vision of generating revenues of between 800 million and one billion euros in 2016."

As a co-founder and co-owner, Bernd Schlobohm wishes to continue to play an active role in helping to shape QSC's strategic development, and would therefore like to move to QSC's Supervisory Board. "QSC is my life's work. I want to continue to accompany this enterprise by helping to set the stage for the future. This is where I see my strengths and my mission," is the way Schlobohm explains this wish.

Schlobohm had founded QSC together with Gerd Eickers back in 1997, initially as a consulting company, taking it public in April 2000. Since that time, Schlobohm has served QSC as its Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, the company built Germany's first alternative nationwide DSL network, was the first telecommunications provider to modernize the network into an IP-capable Next Generation Network, was a pioneer in bringing IP-based voice products to market, and established itself as a TC provider for small and mid-size German companies. With the acquisition of IP Partner and INFO AG, Schlobohm strengthened the company's IT competence and transformed the Group into an integrated IT and TC provider with a workforce of nearly 1,500 people, generating revenues of between € 480 and € 490 million in fiscal 2012.

Today's decision by the Supervisory Board appoints Jürgen Hermann, currently Chief Financial Officer of QSC AG and Chief Executive Officer of INFO AG, to serve as his successor effective May 30, 2013. Jürgen Hermann began his career at QSC back in 1997 and headed Finance at QSC AG for nine years before being appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2009. All acquisitions were executed smoothly under his leadership; network operating company Plusnet was formed under his guidance, and his prudent financial policy developed QSC into a dividend-paying equity with a high level of equity capital and a minimum of debt.

"We not only value Jürgen Hermann as an outstanding Chief Financial Officer, but also as a leader who understands how to resolutely drive change processes, yet with the requisite sensitivity. He will conclude the process of integrating INFO AG, IP Partner and QSC and forming the Group into one single company. Jürgen Hermann stands for transparency and goal orientation. Strategic continuity is assured," is the way Herbert Brenke, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of QSC AG, explains the reasoning behind the Board's decision.

Bernd Schlobohm stresses: "During my entire tenure as Chief Executive Officer, Jürgen Hermann was one of my most important sparring partners and colleagues in connection with all decisions. As Chief Executive Officer of INFO AG, he achieved double-digit growth rates while simultaneously executing major restructurings."

Jürgen Hermann thanks the Supervisory Board for the trust it has placed in him: "I view this decision as both an enormous demonstration of trust and an obligation. Bernd Schlobohm is a full-blooded entrepreneur. I very much welcome his making himself available as a candidate for election to the Supervisory Board. As an integrated ICT provider for small and mid-size German companies, QSC operates in a very exciting growth market. And I am very excited about the task of forming QSC into a leading player in the ICT industry."

About QSC

QSC - ICT solutions for small and mid-size enterprises
Cologne-based QSC AG offers small and mid-size enterprises one-stop shopping for an extensive range of ICT services: from telephony, data transfer, Housing and Hosting right through to IT Outsourcing and IT Consulting. With its companies INFO AG, a full-line provider of IT services headquartered in Hamburg, and IP Exchange, a Housing and Hosting specialist headquartered in Nuremberg, the QSC Group numbers among the leading mid-size providers of ICT and cloud services in Germany. QSC offers custom-tailored solutions for individual ICT needs, as well as a comprehensive product portfolio for customers and marketing partners that can be modularly adapted to suit the communications and IT needs in question. QSC offers its services on the basis of its own Next Generation Networks (NGN) and operates an Open Access platform, which unites a wide range of broadband technologies. QSC AG employs a workforce of nearly 1,500 people and is listed on the TecDAX index.

Further information is available from

QSC AG
Claudia Isringhaus
Head of Corporate Communications
Mathias-Brüggen-Str. 55
50829 Cologne, Germany
Fon: +49 (0) 221 6698-235
Fax: +49 (0) 221 6698-009
E-mail: presse@qsc.de