After nearly eleven years at the helm of VDM Metals, Dr. Niclas Müller will leave the company on July 31, 2026. As of that date, VDM Metals will be jointly managed by Holger Arnold, Tobias Coerschulte, and Frank Morris.

Dr. Niclas Müller’s retirement on July 31, 2026, marks the end of his successful professional career at VDM Metals: He led VDM Metals for over ten years. During this time, the Werdohl-based company steadily consolidated and expanded its position as a global market leader in nickel alloys and high-alloy special stainless steels.

The 61-year-old executive believes the company is very well positioned for the future, thanks in part to Acerinox’s strategic investments in the High-Performance Alloys (HPA) Division. “VDM is in good health. Additional investments in our sites in Altena, Unna, and Werdohl—which have already been launched and, in some cases, implemented—ensure that the company can continue to grow sustainably in the coming years.”

This chapter at VDM represents the final stretch of Dr. Niclas Müller’s career, which began in the early 1990s at Thyssenkrupp after completing his studies in metallurgy at RWTH Aachen University. Within the Group, he held numerous executive positions, starting in 2008 as a member of the Executive Board of the Services Division. As Chairman of the Executive Board, he led the Large-Scale Plant Engineering Division. 

“I have worked with many outstanding individuals over the past four decades, and I am very grateful for that,” explains Dr. Müller. 

For the self-proclaimed fan of South Africa and father of three, family, friends, and leisure time will take priority in the future.

New executive structure

Dr. Niclas Müller’s executive responsibilities will be split among the remaining three executives, Holger Arnold, Tobias Coerschulte, and Frank Morris: “We are taking on our new responsibilities with great enthusiasm. VDM Metals stands for innovation, experience, customer focus, and reliability. This commitment to our customers and partners will remain unchanged, not least because we know our employees do extraordinary work.”

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Niclas Müller for his many years of dedication and commitment to VDM Metals. He has driven the company forward strategically and left a lasting mark on it. I wish his successors—Holger Arnold, Tobias Coerschulte, and Frank Morris—great success in the future, and I ask the entire organization for their full support for this new team,” stated Bernardo Velázquez, CEO of Acerinox SA and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of VDM Metals GmbH.

The position of COO of HPA will be eliminated, and Marty Losch, COO of Haynes International, will report to Clive Grannum, CEO of North American Stainless (NAS).