Umdasch Names Christian Herbinger as New CEO for 2027
2026-08-04 · via invidis
Umdasch The Store Makers is getting a new chief executive. Silvio Kirchmair is stepping down after 14 years at the helm and moving into retirement around his 65th birthday. Christian Herbinger will formally take over as CEO on January 1, 2027, according to the company.
For operators and integrators working with Umdasch across the DACH region, the change matters because of where the company sits in the market. In the invidis Yearbook 2026, Umdasch ranked among the top three integrators in the DACH region, meaning it has a substantial footprint in store fit-out and, by extension, in-store digital signage deployment work tied to retail environments.
Herbinger did not wait for the calendar to turn over. He joined Umdasch as managing director on August 1, 2026, and will spend the following months in a transition period before formally becoming CEO. The company says this structured handover is meant to keep continuity during the leadership change.
Herbinger's background is notably outside the signage and retail-fit sector itself. He brings more than 25 years of international management experience across industrial, energy, and telecommunications companies. Most recently he was Regional Director DACH at Stiebel Eltron, the home-technology manufacturer, where he also sat on the management board. Earlier in his career he held leadership roles at Vaillant Group, Wien Energie, and T-Mobile, where he worked on international sales as well as transformation and growth programs.
The announcement frames the move as setting up the company's next generation of leadership, with a stated focus on sustainable growth building on what Umdasch describes as positive recent development. The release does not specify what, if any, strategic changes Herbinger plans for Umdasch's digital signage or store-technology business, nor does it name other executives affected by the transition. For integrators and brands that rely on Umdasch for store technology and retail fit-out projects, the practical questions, staffing continuity, project pipelines, and any shift in service focus, remain unanswered for now.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
Silvio Kirchmair is stepping down as CEO of Umdasch The Store Makers after more than a dozen years and moving into retirement. Christian Herbinger succeeds him, joining from Stiebel Eltron.
Silvio Kirchmair led Umdasch The Store Makers for 14 years. The company has now announced a change at the top. Kirchmair hands over the role around his 65th birthday and retires. Christian Herbinger takes over as CEO on January 1, 2027.
Herbinger doesn’t have to wait until the new year to start at Umdasch, though. He already joined the company as managing director on August 1, 2026. The months-long transition period that follows is meant to ensure a structured handover.
With the change, Umdasch wants to set the course for its next generation of leadership. The company plans to continue the positive development of recent years, with a focus on sustainable growth. In the invidis Yearbook 2026, Umdasch ranked among the top three integrators in the DACH region .
Christian Herbinger brings more than 25 years of international management experience, having worked across the industrial, energy, and telecommunications sectors.
Most recently, he served as Regional Director DACH at Stiebel Eltron and sat on the management board of the home-technology manufacturer. Before that, he held leadership roles at Vaillant Group, Wien Energie, and T-Mobile, where he was responsible for international sales as well as transformation and growth programs.