Hoerbiger News_April 01st, 2026

Dr. Michael Albiez appointed to HOERBIGER’s Executive Board and named new CEO of PI

Dr. Michael Albiez

The Board of Directors of HOERBIGER Holding AG has appointed Dr. Michael Albiez as a new member of the Executive Board. He will be responsible for the newly created Positioning Division and will become CEO of Physik Instrumente (PI).

Dr. Michael Albiez studied mathematics and physics at the University of Konstanz and subsequently earned his doctorate in physics at the University of Heidelberg. He began his professional career in 2005 as a research associate in the Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology division at ZEISS, a global leader in the optical and optoelectronic industries. 

Between 2010 and 2016, Michael Albiez held several leadership roles at ZEISS, including heading development for scanning electron microscopes, research in the Materials division, and the Electron Microscopy Product Center. Concurrently, he completed an Executive MBA program at Mannheim Business School. In 2018, Dr. Albiez was appointed Chief Operations Officer and member of the Executive Board of Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH. From 2019 until the end of 2025, he served as CEO of Carl Zeiss Research Microscopy Solutions. 

HOERBIGER announced the acquisition of PI, a global leader in high-precision motion and positioning technologies, in December 2025. PI’s global operations, with 1,900 employees, form the new Positioning Division within the HOERBIGER portfolio. The acquisition was closed on March 31, 2026. 

“The new Positioning Division is set to become an additional strong pillar of HOERBIGER,” says Dr. Martin Komischke, President of the Board of Directors of HOERBIGER Holding AG. “This makes it all the more important that we were able to win Dr. Michael Albiez—a proven industry expert with many years of technical and leadership experience – for this role.” 

Dr. Michael Albiez says: “PI is renowned worldwide for its technology. I am proud to join the team behind this technology. Together, we will lead PI toward a successful future as part of the HOERBIGER Group.” 

“HOERBIGER has ambitious growth plans. PI will help us enter new future markets and drive growth, says Dr. Thorsten Kahlert, CEO and Chairman of the HOERBIGER Executive Board. “The entire HOERBIGER team, my colleagues on the Executive Board, and I are looking forward to welcoming PI and Michael Albiez. Together, we will open a new chapter for both companies.” 


As of April 1, 2026, the HOERBIGER Group Executive Board will be composed as follows: 

  • Dr. Thorsten Kahlert - CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board
  • Bernhard Lindner - CFO and Head of the Safety Business Unit and HOERBIGER Elektronik GmbH
  • Wolfgang Sautter - Head of the Compression Division
  • Thomas Englmann - Head of the Automotive Division and the Rotary Business Unit
  • Dr. Michael Albiez - Head of the Positioning Division and CEO of PI
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