02/09/2024 - New CEO for Dauphin Group

With effect from 1 February 2024, Elmar Duffner has taken over as CEO of Dauphin Office Interiors GmbH & Co. KG. In this role, the 63-year-old is taking over as the immediate successor to Michael Rudloff and now has overall responsibility for the group of companies.

Together with Udo Denzin (CFO), who has been an Managing Director at the Dauphin holding company since 1 October 2023, this new duo is now set to lead the whole company into the future.

"In appointing Mr Duffner, the shareholders have succeeded in recruiting an established expert in the German furniture industry who has successfully managed businesses in the kitchen furniture, home furniture and office furniture industries over the last 25 years. His expertise and wealth of management experience will be a huge asset to the Dauphin Group," emphasises company founder Friedrich W. Dauphin.

Over the past ten years, Elmar Duffner has been Managing Director & CEO of the Vivonio Furniture Group with annual revenue of around 400 million euros and up to 1,900 employees. He also performed this role at Poggenpohl for nine years. In addition, he has held positions of responsibility at ALNO AG and Optifit Jaka-Möbel GmbH.

Up to the end of 2023, Mr Duffner spent a total of nine years as President of the German Furniture Industry Association and in this role was also a member of the "imm Cologne" advisory board at Messe Köln.

"I look forward to working together closely with my colleagues on the management board, and all the dedicated and talented employees as well," stresses Elmar Duffner. "For me personally, it's a special honour to guide Mr Dauphin's entrepreneurial life's work successfully into the future."

Together with the Dauphin Group, the industry expert has set the goal of achieving strong, sustainable growth within Germany and in the export markets and building on current initiatives.

This involves more changes to the management team. To simplify processes within the business, since 2022 three companies have been gradually merged into one unit, creating the new Dauphin HumanDesign® Group GmbH & Co. KG with more than 400 employees.

With effect from 1 February 2024, the established and long-serving Managing Directors Dr. Jochen Ihring and Martin Fischer have also been the new duo at the helm of the new company. Dr. Jochen Ihring is responsible for Marketing and Sales, and Martin Fischer is in charge of Operations.

In addition, both men have taken over the management of Dauphin Entwicklungs- und Beteiligungsges. mbH in Hersbruck as Managing Directors. 

The Dauphin holding company employs more than 600 people worldwide and recorded a turnover of 130 million euros in 2022.