As part of its ongoing commitment to strategic growth, d&b is implementing key leadership transitions to increase customer focus, enhance innovation, improve decision-making, and strengthen collaboration. d&b is therefore delighted to welcome Jaakko Kaivonen as the new CRO and Nicola Wagener as the new CPSO to the management team as of 17 March 2025. d&b audiotechnik’s COO, Stephan Greiner, and d&b group’s CPSO, Karen Wefelmeyer, have decided to step down for personal reasons.
Formation of new CRO business unit
After eight very successful years with d&b audiotechnik, COO Stephan Greiner has decided to follow different priorities in his professional career. To ensure the continuation of this successful journey, d&b has appointed Jaakko Kaivonen to the new role of CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) starting with immediate effect.
Kaivonen has an outstanding track record and brings extensive experience in leading global sales structures in the B2B business. His expertise in leading business units experiencing dynamic growth will be instrumental for d&b audiotechnik’s growth path. In his various senior management functions, Kaivonen has held full P&L responsibility in his past companies which include global responsibility for the Industrial Segment for Entrance Systems Division at ASSA ABLOY Group as well as several senior leadership roles at KONE Corporation.
“I am excited to welcome Jaakko to our executive team and the d&b family,” noted Amnon Harman, CEO of d&b group. “To drive future strategic growth and strengthen our market position, the establishment of a dedicated CRO organisation is a key step. With this customer and market-centric business unit, Jaakko will put a clear focus on our growth strategy built on existing strong relationships with our reselling partners, direct accounts and key opinion leaders as well [as] the required support structure to further improve the partner and customer experience with d&b.”
“I am truly excited and honoured to join d&b audiotechnik and its team of dedicated and committed professionals. d&b has absolutely the leading products and solutions in the market, excellent customer service and a true commitment to customer excellence,” said Kaivonen. “d&b’s outstanding team of professionals have throughout the years made a profound difference in the industry and I look forward to working alongside with this talented team to drive growth, expand global reach, and deliver exceptional solutions to our customers.”
Seamless transition in the HR and sustainability department of d&b group
In her nine successful years of true dedication and leadership, d&b group’s CPSO (Chief People and Sustainability Officer) Karen Wefelmeyer has shaped and professionalised the HR department and saw the need to engage in sustainability matters early on, which resulted in creating a strong sustainability reputation of d&b group. She has now decided to end her d&b journey to have more time for her family commitments. She will dedicate the remaining time to ensure a smooth handover to her successor.
As of 17 March, Nicola Wagener will join d&b group as CPSO. With her, d&b gains an accomplished leader with strong general business acumen and expertise in organisational transformation and strategy. Over the past 20+ years, she has driven performance and organisational change across industries, starting as a top management consultant at McKinsey & Company, followed by her role as Head of Corporate Strategy & Portfolio at thyssenkrupp AG, and until recently as a leadership advisor at ghSMART. She brings the right skillset to manage diverse, multi-cultural teams and support both projects and employees through transformation.
“I have had the honour of working alongside Nicola in the past and treasure her strong analytical skills and her impact-driven mindset,” commented Harman. “I am very confident that her pragmatic, systematic working style and her extensive expertise in people development will greatly benefit d&b’s future growth and our staff. I am thrilled to welcome such a talented leader to our executive team.”
“I am excited to join this exceptional company. What stands out to me most is the vibrant, positive culture, the hands-on mentality, and the pride people take in being part of the d&b family,” said Nicola Wagener. “I look forward to getting to know the d&b community better, supporting change processes and enabling the organisation’s next phase of growth from a people and sustainability perspective.”
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stephan Greiner and Karen Wefelmeyer for their outstanding contribution and dedication to d&b. Together with my fellow d&b’ans, I wish them all the best for their own personal and professional journeys. At the same time, I am extremely pleased to welcome Jaakko Kaivonen and Nicola Wagener to our executive team. With their expertise and leadership, we will continue to build on our success and drive meaningful value for our customers, partners and other d&b stakeholders,” Harman concluded.
