Lehne was appointed interim CEO in January 2022 following the departure of Mark Dorman having previously been the senior managing director of SThree's largest region, DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland).

Lehne “brings a wealth of relevant experience in STEM recruitment, a deep understanding of SThree’s business, and focused, dynamic leadership, all vital qualities as the Group continues to execute its growth strategy”, a company statement said.

As senior managing director of the DACH business, Lehne held full responsibility for the day-to-day running of SThree’s largest region. He has also been a member of the company’s global senior leadership team, supporting the overall process of identifying and prioritising strategic programmes across the group. 

The company said that since Timo joined the Group in 2006, “he has helped transform the group’s DACH business into the fastest growing specialist recruiter in the region” and a well-respected employer, the company said. SThree is now DACH’s second-biggest specialist recruitment consultancy.

James Bilefield, non-executive chair, commented: “As interim CEO he has shown strategic thinking, drive and passion, drawing on his extensive experience, and we are entirely confident that he is the best person to take the business forward. Together with the rest of the Board, I look forward to working alongside him in his new role.”

Lehne said he was “excited and honoured” to be taking on the permanent CEO role at SThree. “We have the right strategy in place. The need for STEM skills has never been greater and we expect demand to increase over the coming years,” he said. 

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