Schaeffler AG has appointed aerospace and defence industry veteran Celia Pelaz as Chief Executive Officer of its newly established Defence & New Space business, effective October 1, 2026. In her new role, Pelaz will also assume responsibility for the management board of STech Defence GmbH, Schaeffler’s dedicated subsidiary focused on defence and emerging space-sector opportunities.
Founded at the end of 2025, STech Defence GmbH was created to strengthen Schaeffler’s presence in the defence and New Space markets. The company aims to leverage Schaeffler Group’s expertise in product development, manufacturing, industrialization, and motion technologies to deliver innovative solutions for customers across Europe’s defence and space industries. Manfred Homm will serve as Chief Technology Officer, while Dr. Christopher Köth will continue as interim Chief Financial Officer.
Pelaz joins Schaeffler from satellite data and analytics provider Spire Global, where she has served as Chief Operating Officer and member of the management board since January 2025. Her career spans more than two decades in the aerospace and defence sector, including senior leadership roles at Airbus Defence & Space and Hensoldt AG. During her tenure at Airbus Defence & Space, she contributed to major transformation initiatives, including the carve-out of defence electronics operations that later became Hensoldt.
At Hensoldt, Pelaz held several strategic leadership positions before becoming Chief Strategy Officer and later Chief Operating Officer. She holds degrees in industrial engineering and business organization and is a dual citizen of Spain and Germany.
Schaeffler CEO Klaus Rosenfeld said Pelaz’s extensive industry experience will play a key role in expanding the company’s defence and space activities as Schaeffler targets generating 10% of revenue from new growth sectors, including defence, New Space, and humanoid robotics, by 2035.
