Vita 34 AG: New Chief Financial Officer for Vita 34 AG

– Falk Neukirch takes on duties from Jörg Ulbrich

– International growth will continue to be pursued

Leipzig, 28 September 2015 – As of October 1, 2015 the new CFO at Vita 34 AG will be Falk Neukirch. He will lead the company together with the Chairman of the Management Board, Dr. André Gerth. Falk Neukirch will be taking over the helm from Jörg Ulbrich, who was a member of the Management Board for 7 years. This change in the finance area took place by mutual agreement. With the contribution of Jörg Ulbrich in the past years, Vita 34 AG has established itself as a reliable provider and the market leader for the storage of stem cells from umbilical cord blood in Europe with a continuously improved competitive position and increasing profitability. The new Chief Financial Officer is assuming the role with the goal of mastering the necessary strategic market challenges in the Management Board team in order to develop Vita 34 AG into a globally leading specialist for the storage and application of stem cells, while maintaining profitable growth.

Falk Neukirch is confident that he can accent the decisive notes in the Management Board team for the implementation of the growth strategy of Vita 34 AG decided together with the Supervisory Board. “In particular, the integration of the most recently acquired interests to form a strong unit, the furtherance of international expansion into exciting growth markets, as well as the further development of the offering of Vita 34 AG extending to stem cell therapies will require the full attention and great effort on the part of the new Management Board team.” The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Vita 34 AG, Dr. Hans-Georg Giering expressed the following: “It is a pleasure that Vita 34 has been successful in attracting a proven finance specialist with stock exchange experience such as Falk Neukirch for mastering the exciting challenges of the next few years.”

“Now is exactly the right time for a change in the Finance Department”, explained the outgoing Chief Financial Officer, Jörg Ulbrich, “because now a CFO is needed who must set completely different priorities in his work than I do, and he must enjoy doing just that.” Mr. Ulbrich is leaving Vita 34 AG following the successful reorientation of the company as a globally leading stem cell bank, in order to dedicate himself to new management challenges.

The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Vita 34 AG, Dr. Hans-Georg Giering thanked Mr. Ulbrich for his term at the company. “Jörg Ulbrich was one of the decisive influences that shaped Vita 34 over the many years of development.” Here he supported significant projects such as the sustainable attainment of a positive profit situation and profitability. In particular Dr. Giering emphasized that the “personal decision of Jörg Ulbrich to hand the reins over to his successor, who will accompany Vita 34 in its next growth phases with different emphases and international experience, deserves respect and recognition.”

Falk Neukirch

Falk Neukirch studied Business at the Technical University Dresden from 1990 to 1996, with one year in Great Britain, and he finished his studies with a graduate degree in Business. Mr. Neukirch then worked for several years for Deloitte in the field of auditing and tax consultation before taking on various management positions in the field of finance in industry with a strong international focus. From 2007 until 2014 Falk Neukirch was Director of Controlling at the publicly traded First Sensor AG where he reported directly to the Management Board. In his seven-year tenure at First Sensor AG he established a capable finance department, which included, in particular, an excellent controlling and reporting department, as well as efficient risk management covering 18 subsidiaries. He actively oversaw more than 10 company acquisitions and their integration into the First Sensor group. He is fully familiar with the reporting requirements of a publicly traded company based on his former responsibility for the annual reports of the First Sensor group. He has comprehensive knowledge in the area of IFRS.

Company Profile

Vita 34 was founded in 1997 as the first private umbilical cord blood bank in Europe and, as a complete provider, offers collection logistics, preparation and storage of umbilical cord blood and cord tissue. The basis for its successful work is an outstanding position in the technological segment of cryo-preservation. Here, cells and tissue are preserved alive at some -190ºC for long periods of time, and can be used if needed in the context of medical treatment. Some 140,000 families are already taking advantage of this offering and have provided for their children with a stem cell deposit at Vita 34.