HDB Elects Olaf Demuth as President
13.05.2026
Figure: HDB/Maren Strehlau
Olaf Demuth is the new president of the German Construction Industry Association (HDB). This morning, the general assembly unanimously elected the 63-year-old civil engineer and CEO of Zech Group SE to lead the association. In his new role, the Hamburg native will represent one of Germany’s most important economic sectors.
“I am looking forward to this new role and at the same time feel great respect for the office. The industry faces major economic and structural challenges. The transformation is already in full swing, and we must ensure that all market players are brought on board. In the coming years, I would like to help bring the highly fragmented industry closer together and, in particular, strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises. We can only tackle the major societal challenges together—by working in close cooperation, from large corporations down to smaller companies. Progress is only possible with an industrial policy that takes the entire breadth of the industry into account and involves all stakeholders,” Demuth stated following his election.
On the very first day of his presidency, Olaf Demuth will meet Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, Federal Minister of Construction Verena Hubertz, Federal Minister of Transport Patrick Schnieder, and Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and State Modernization, at the “Construction Industry Day.” He will also introduce himself to representatives of numerous associations and companies from all over Germany.
His predecessor, Peter Hübner, had stepped down halfway through his third term to initiate an orderly and trusting transition process. In total, Hübner served as president of the association for ten years.
Long-time industry representative
Since 2017, Olaf Demuth has served as a member of the Executive Board of Zech Group SE, overseeing the Building division, which includes the sectors of Construction, Civil Engineering, International & Consulting, Technology, Systems, and Environment. After completing his civil engineering studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg, he began his professional career in 1988 at Strabag Hoch- und Ingenieurbau AG in Hamburg. In various management positions in Hamburg and Berlin, he assumed increasing responsibility within the company. Following the acquisition of Strabag Hoch- und Ingenieurbau’s operations by Ed. Züblin AG in 2006, Demuth headed the Northern Division in Hamburg. In 2013, he was appointed to the Executive Board of Ed. Züblin AG.
Demuth has also been actively involved in the construction industry on a voluntary basis for many years: He has been a member of the Executive Board of the Hamburg-Schleswig-Holstein Construction Industry Association for 19 years and has served as its Chairman for the past ten years. He has been a member of the Presidium of the German Construction Industry Association since 2018.
CONTACT
Main Association of the German Construction Industry e.V.
Kurfürstenstraße 129
10785 Berlin/Germany
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