celia-pelaz
Motion technology company Schaeffler AG has announced the appointment of Celia Pelaz as CEO of its Defence & New Space business, effective October 1, 2026. In her new role, Pelaz will lead the management board of STech Defence GmbH, Schaeffler’s dedicated subsidiary established at the end of 2025 to focus on defence and space-related activities.
The appointment underscores Schaeffler’s commitment to expanding into strategic growth sectors beyond its traditional core business. Defence & New Space has been identified as one of the company’s key future growth fields, supporting its ambition to generate 10 percent of revenue from emerging business areas by 2035.
Based in Munich, STech Defence GmbH aims to become a preferred partner to the European defence and space industries. Leveraging Schaeffler’s long-standing expertise in product development, manufacturing, industrialization, and motion technology, the company will focus on delivering innovative solutions and products tailored to these sectors.
Pelaz brings more than 25 years of international experience in the defence and space industry. She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Management Board at Spire Global, Inc., a global provider of satellite data, analytics, and intelligence.
Her career began in 2001 with Airbus Defence and Space (formerly EADS), where she held various leadership positions across operations, sales, and project management. She later played a key role in the carve-out of defence electronics activities that eventually became HENSOLDT AG.
At HENSOLDT, Pelaz held several strategic leadership positions, including Head of International Development, Strategy & Corporate Functions, Head of Strategic Business Development, and Head of the Spectrum Dominance & Airborne Solutions Division. In 2021, she was appointed Chief Strategy Officer and Member of the Executive Board before taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer, a position she held until August 2024.
Pelaz studied Technical Engineering in Industrial Economy and Organization at the Escuela Universitaria de Industria, Comercio y Navegación de Bilbao and holds both Spanish and German citizenship.
Commenting on the appointment, Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, said: “We are very pleased to appoint Celia Pelaz, one of the most distinguished and experienced executives in the European defence and space industry, for Schaeffler. With her experience, expertise and leadership strength, she will make an important contribution to expanding Schaeffler Group’s defence and space business and shaping this important new growth field for the future.”
Rosenfeld added that Schaeffler’s capabilities as a Motion Technology Company position it uniquely among international suppliers to capitalise on growth opportunities in both the defence and New Space sectors.
The move reflects Schaeffler’s broader strategy of diversifying into future-oriented industries, including humanoid robotics, defence, and space technologies, while building on its engineering and manufacturing strengths.
