MEYER WERFT is expanding its management team. Following the appointment of Melanie Freytag as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the beginning of November 2025 and the imminent arrival of André Walter as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in summer 2026, Jörg Heidelberg joined the management team as Chief Operating Officer (COO) on 1st January 2026. Jörg Heidelberg learned his trade from the ground up at MEYER WERFT and has been with the company for almost 30 years.
Jörg Heidelberg has known the shipyard since his childhood and watched the spectacular launch of MEYER WERFT's first cruise ship, the Homeric, in 1985 as a spectator. In 1995, as a technical college student, he completed a one-year internship at the shipyard. “I was able to get a taste of many different areas at that time, and it was clear to me afterwards that I wanted to do an apprenticeship here,” he recalls. His time in the German Armed Forces then got in the way, but in the fall of 1997, Jörg Heidelberg began his apprenticeship as an industrial mechanic at the shipyard.
“My big goal was already clear to me back then: I wanted to become an engineer,” says Jörg Heidelberg. After completing his apprenticeship, he attended the University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Technology in Vechta. MEYER WERFT enabled the aspiring engineer to remain with the company, and Jörg Heidelberg became the shipyard's first dual student. The company was impressed by his skills and his willingness to take on responsibility. “Even during my training, I was already working independently on projects.”
After completing his studies, he held various positions in the technical offices and production department at the shipyard. At the age of 48, Jörg Heidelberg has now joined the management team. And he has big plans: “The focus is on customer satisfaction. But especially on employee satisfaction. Only together can we deliver the quality and on-time delivery that give us a competitive edge. I have learned that we as a shipyard have always been successful when we have embraced change and actively shaped it,” says Jörg Heidelberg.
The shipyard must continue its restructuring course in 2026 and push ahead with the switch to SAP. “In the future, artificial intelligence will also play an increasingly important role. The way we build and develop ships and control costs between 2030 and 2035 will certainly change significantly as a result. We want this change!” says the COO. With the new potential orders from the Swiss shipping company MSC Cruises, MEYER WERFT has the necessary tailwind. “I am very confident and see many more opportunities than risks,” says Jörg Heidelberg, looking ahead.
