page_title: SMA Solar Technology
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: SMA Solar Technology / History
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Müllberg Speyer: Solaranlage auf den Osthang; hier Blick auf Wechselrichter von SMA Solar montiert hinter den BP-Solarpanelen; unten die Kläranlage Speyer und der Rhein gesäumt von großen Pappeln
context_page_description: SMA Solar Technology AG is a German solar energy equipment supplier founded in 1981 and headquartered in Niestetal, Northern Hesse, Germany. SMA is a producer and manufacturer of solar inverters for photovoltaics systems with grid connection, off-grid power supply and backup operations.
  The company has offices in 18 countries.
context_section_description: The company was founded by Werner Kleinkauf and former board members Günther Cramer (1952-2015), Peter Drews and Reiner Wettlaufer as a separate company from the University of Kassel, subsequently renamed in 2004 to SMA Technologie AG. In 2006 Pierre-Pascal Urbon expanded the board. In June 2008, the name was changed to the present SMA Solar Technology in order to emphasize the focus on solar and the internationalization of the company. At the same time, the railway technology division was spun into SMA Railway Technology GmbH, which was sold to Chinese Beijing Dinghan in 2017.
  Larger changes to the Board became effective after the Annual General Meeting in June 2009. One of the founders, Reiner Wettlaufer, joined the Supervisory Board. Roland Grebe was added as Chief Technology Officer and Marko Werner as Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, both were more than 20 years with the company. In April 2010, the Board also had Jürgen Dolle in Human Resources and Uwe Hertel in Operations. Since the 2011 Annual General Meeting, Pierre-Pascal Urbon became CEO, responsible for the strategic direction of the company and the continuation of internationalization. Two founders, Drews and Cramer, then joined to the Supervisory Board. Uwe Hertel retired from the Board in 2011. In November 2012, Lydia Sommer joined the board and took over the Finance and Law responsibilities from Urbon, who previously held this portfolio in a dual role as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Since May 2013, Lydia Sommer was also responsible for Human Resources and Labor Relations Director, after Jürgen Dolle retired from the board. In January 2015 Martin Kinne took over board responsibility for Sales and Service.
  As part of the company's transformation in 2015, the Supervisory Board of SMA reduced the number of managing board members. Lydia Sommer left the board in February 2015, and Martin Kinne in December 2015. From January 2016, the managing board of SMA comprised the following members: Roland Grebe (Board Member for Human Resources and IT), Juergen Reinert (Board Member for Operations and Technology), Pierre-Pascal Urbon (Chief Executive Officer, Board Member for Strategy, Finance/Legal and Sales).
  Roland Grebe stepped down from the managing board as per December 31, 2016. As of January 1, 2017, the Managing Board of SMA Solar Technology AG comprises the following members: Ulrich Hadding (Board Member for Finance, Human Resources and Legal), Jürgen Reinert (Deputy CEO, Board Member for Technology and Operations), Pierre-Pascal Urbon (CEO, Board Member for Strategy,  Sales and Service).
  Pierre-Pascal Urbon left the company on December 31, 2018, at his own request, after having resigned from the Managing Board in agreement with the Supervisory Board on October 15, 2018. On the same date, Jürgen Reinert was appointed Chief Executive Officer of SMA Solar Technology AG and is responsible for Strategy, Sales and Service in addition to Operations and Technology. Ulrich Hadding continues to be responsible for Finance, Human Resources and Legal Affairs and has also assumed responsibility for Investor Relations.
caption: A Sunny Mini Central mounted next to photovoltaic solar modules
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