Siemens AG reported Aug. 12 that its managing board has appointed Rainer Brehm as president of its new Automation unit. He will assume the role on Oct. 1, 2026, and report directly to Cedrik Neike, managing board member of Siemens AG and CEO of its Digital Industries business.

“The future of industry lies at the intersection of automation, software and AI, enabling faster innovation, greater scalability and more tailored customer solutions. That’s why we’re creating the Automation unit,” says Neike. “I’m pleased that Rainer will lead this new organization. He understands the technologies, markets and customer needs, and has been deeply committed to automation throughout his career. Together with our strong team, he’ll further develop and strengthen this business.”

In his current role as COO for automation business and CTO of Digital Industries, Brehm drove strategic development of the company’s automation portfolio, including technologies such as software-defined automation and industrial AI. Before that, he served as CEO of the Factory Automation business unit.

As part of Siemens’ ONE Tech Company strategy, the new Automation unit is combining four automation business units, namely customer services, factory automation, motion control and process automation. The company reports this conglomeration will also take effect on Oct. 1, and will strengthen its automation business to help industrial customers build more flexible, productive and resilient production systems.

“Artificial intelligence is transforming industry. This makes a strong automation partner more important than ever,” adds Brehm. “I look forward to working with our teams around the world to further strengthen Siemens’ leadership in automation. Together, we aim to shape the next phase of industry and advance AI-enabled autonomous production, helping our customers become more flexible, productive and competitive.”