UPDATE 2-Thyssenkrupp CFO Keysberg to step down next year

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Sept 6 (Reuters) – Thyssenkrupp AG Chief Financial Officer Klaus Keysberg will step down from his role next year, the company said on Wednesday, marking the latest leadership change at the German industrial group.

Keysberg’s contract runs until July 31, 2024, and he has decided not to seek an extension, the company said, adding that it has started a succession search.

“We respect the decision of Dr. Klaus Keysberg, even though we regret his leaving,” Thyssenkrupp Chairman Siegfried Russwurm said.

“Klaus Keysberg has wisely and with great prudence closely accompanied the comprehensive change process of the company during this time and thus contributed significantly to the progress achieved so far in the transformation of Thyssenkrupp.”

Keysberg, 59, has worked at the group for nearly three decades. His plan to step down comes around three months after Thyssenkrupp CEO Miguel Lopez took over from former boss Martina Merz. (Reporting by Juby Babu and Christoph Steitz; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Nick Zieminski)