Effective January 1, 2026, DI Dr. Christian Morawetz is chief operating officer of Rath AG, an internationally active refractory manufacturer headquartered in Vienna with eight production sites worldwide.
As a member of the executive board, Morawetz is responsible for production, purchasing, research & development, quality management, and IT. The supervisory board has appointed him for a term of three years through December 31, 2028.
Morawetz has extensive experience in operational management. Most recently, he held a senior position at Knorr-Bremse GmbH, a globally active manufacturer of braking systems and other safety-critical systems for rail and commercial vehicles, including head of brake control and head of automation. Earlier professional positions took Morawetz to Siemens Transformers Austria and to Fraunhofer Austria Research.
“We are very pleased to welcome Christian Morawetz, an established expert in operational management, to our leadership team,” said Andreas Pfneiszl, CEO of Rath Group. “His professional expertise, strategic perspective, and experience in international industrial companies will further strengthen the competitiveness and innovative strength of Rath AG.”
“The past year was extremely challenging economically for Rath AG, as it was for many of our customers and competitors,” said Morawetz. “Nevertheless, we look to 2026 with confidence. Through a group-wide transformation program, which will reshape our product portfolio as well as our production and organizational structures, we are positioning ourselves to respond to evolving market conditions. We must sharpen the focus of our R&D activities and increase production efficiency. A great deal will change, but one thing will not: Rath is and remains a reliable partner for its customers.”
Rath remains a reliable partner in the ceramics industry, fully aware of the sector’s current challenges and well equipped to support it.
“In the ceramics industry, refractory lining solutions must be energy efficient, durable, and competitively priced,” said Morawetz. “To meet these requirements, we work closely with our customers to develop tailored solutions.”
Rath is also placing strong emphasis on completing the development of the first European oxide-ceramic continuous fiber Altra Flex®, “which will open up additional new customer segments for us,” said Morawetz.
Former COO Ingo Gruber concluded his mandate effective December 31, 2025 and has retired. He had been a member of the executive board since October 2019.
“On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Ingo Gruber for his great commitment and the important impetus he provided in advancing Rath AG, and I wish him all the best for the future,” said Andreas Pfneiszl.
More info: www.rath-group.com
