Effective January 1, 2026, DI Dr. Christian Morawetz (45) has assumed the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of RATH AG, an internationally active refractory manufacturer headquartered in Vienna with eight production sites worldwide. As a member of the Executive Board, Christian Morawetz is responsible for Production, Purchasing, Research & Development, Quality Management, and IT. The Supervisory Board has appointed him for a term of three years through December 31, 2028.
Christian Morawetz has extensive experience in operational management. Most recently, he held a senior position at Knorr-Bremse GmbH, a globally active manufacturer of braking systems and other safety-critical systems for rail and commercial vehicles, including Head of Brake Control and Head of Automation. Earlier professional positions took Morawetz to Siemens Transformers Austria and to Fraunhofer Austria Research.
“We are very pleased to welcome Christian Morawetz, an established expert in operational management, to our leadership team. His professional expertise, strategic perspective, and experience in international industrial companies will further strengthen the competitiveness and innovative strength of RATH AG,” says Andreas Pfneiszl, CEO of RATH Group.
“The past year was extremely challenging economically for RATH AG, as it was for many of our customers and competitors. Nevertheless, we look to 2026 with confidence. Through a Group-wide transformation program, which will reshape our product portfolio as well as our production and organizational structures, we are positioning ourselves to respond to evolving market conditions. We must sharpen the focus of our R&D activities and increase production efficiency. A great deal will change, but one thing will not: RATH is and remains a reliable partner for its customers,” says COO Christian Morawetz.
A reliable partner for the global glass industry
The same is true for RATH customers in the global glass industry, as Morawetz goes on to explain: “As a full-service provider to glass manufacturers, RATH continues to be synonymous with quality. To ensure this, we continuously implement optimization measures, most recently through our investment in a processing machine for concrete molded components, which will further enhance the precision of our products. This reduces customer approval times and delivery lead times and enhances durability.”
Former COO Ingo Gruber retires
Former COO Ingo Gruber concluded his mandate effective December 31, 2025 and has retired. He had been a member of the Executive Board since October 2019. “On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Ingo Gruber for his great commitment and the important impetus he provided in advancing RATH AG, and I wish him all the best for the future,” says Andreas Pfneiszl.
About RATH
RATH specializes in refractory technology with a broad product range of refractory materials for application temperatures of up to 1800 °C. RATH AG, headquartered in Vienna, has established itself internationally as a renowned supplier of refractory solutions, with around 600 employees and sales representatives in several countries worldwide.
The RATH Group manufactures a wide range of innovative, high-quality refractory products at a total of seven production sites in Europe (Austria, Hungary, Germany) and the USA. The company produces dense bricks, unshaped products, lightweight refractory bricks, pre-cast blocks as well as high-temperature insulation wool and vacuum-formed parts.
Whether it's in the aluminum, glass, ceramic or steel industries, RATH's specialists have extensive expertise for these and many other sectors, and understand their specific requirements and processes. For many years, RATH has also been developing innovative hot gas filter elements that enable industrial companies to efficiently filter exhaust gases and pollutants.
RATH also brings extensive expertise to the development of an oxide ceramic continuous fiber: ALTRA FLEX® – available in grades M75, MK85 and K99 – positions RATH as the first European company to supply solutions for composite manufacturers and processors of temperature-resistant fabrics.
In addition to supplying standard materials, RATH provides support in the form of complete solutions and a comprehensive range of services – from planning, assembly and site supervision to maintenance and repair.
When it comes to the manufacture of its products, RATH attaches great importance to the efficient and resource-saving use of materials as well as to a sustainable approach to the environment. In addition, the company intensively supports its customers to become more sustainable with energy-saving refractory solutions as well as innovative hot gas filter elements for filtering particle-laden industrial flue gases.
