Gerhard Kleineidam has been named CEO of Leica Microsystems AG of Wetzlar, Germany. He takes over the position from Horst Wegener, who had led the company for 13 years and who will serve as vice chairman of the company's supervisory board.

Kleineidam, formerly a member of the management board of Diehl-Stiftung & Co. of Nuremberg, Germany, has held managerial positions at Robert Bosch GmbH, also in Germany.

He joined Leica earlier this year and intends to continue the company's growth strategy and planned stock market launch.