New Pepperl+Fuchs Managing Director and Executive Vice President for Factory Automation Division, Asia Pacific

During Mr Gunkel’s tenure, the Asia Pacific region comprising Australia & New Zealand, Greater China, Japan, Korea, Middle East & India, and Southeast Asia has been the fastest growing market in the Factory Automation organization, achieving double digit growth in recent years.

Originally from Mannheim, Germany and based in Asia since 1993, Mr Gunkel had been instrumental in spearheading and expanding Pepperl+Fuchs’ sales presence in the industrial automation space in the region, notably in China.

He played a pivotal role in the establishment of joint venture company, Shanghai Pepperl+Fuchs Automation, in 1993, to make inroads in the nascent Chinese market. Mr Gunkel subsequently moved to Singapore in 1998 to take up the role of Managing Director at Pepperl+Fuchs’ Asia Pacific regional headquarters. He was later appointed Managing Director of Factory Automation Division in 2003 when the sales business was split into Factory and Process Automation divisions. In 2005, Mr Gunkel returned to Shanghai, China to establish Pepperl+Fuchs’ fully-owned sales subsidiary, Shanghai Pepperl+Fuchs Automation Trading Co. Ltd, and moved back to Singapore 10 years later to oversee the growth of the business in the Asia Pacific region.

Prior to Mr Winkler’s latest appointment, he was the General Manager of Shanghai Pepperl+Fuchs Automation Trading Co. Ltd, in charge of sales and operations in Greater China. He was also previously the Regional Sales Manager for Factory Automation Sales in Southeast Asia, and Key Account Manager in Mannheim, Germany. Mr Winkler is based in the Pepperl+Fuchs Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Singapore.            

Founded in 1945, Pepperl+Fuchs today is a “700 Mio. € +” company employing approximately 6.000 people and holding market-leading positions in industrial sensors and explosion protection equipment. The headquarters in Mannheim, Germany, represent the core of the company's technical expertise, where engineers and specialists research and develop the latest technologies and products. Originally a small family business founded in 1945, Pepperl+Fuchs is now represented on all continents by more than 40 subsidiaries. Our global presence gives us the best of both worlds: the highest technical standards plus efficient, cost-effective production facilities. Pepperl+Fuchs has developed into a partner for worldwide users of automation technology, and offers the most comprehensive portfolio of tried-and-tested components for the demands of manufacturing automation and process automation.