Fendt Appoints Dr. Josef Mayer as R&D Head

Business |Appointments & Restructure

Fendt has appointed Dr. Josef Mayer as VP & MD of R&D, effective April 1, 2025. He will lead tractor and forage harvester development.

Date: March 1, 2025

Fendt Appoints Dr. Josef Mayer as R&D Head

Marktoberdorf, Germany – Fendt., a brand of AGCO GmbH and an agricultural machinery manufacturer, has appointed Dr. Josef Mayer as Vice President and Managing Director of Research and Development, effective April 1, 2025. He will lead the development division, succeeding Walter Wagner, who retires after 36 years with the company.

As Vice President and Managing Director of Research and Development, Dr. Josef Mayer will oversee Fendt's R&D division and purchasing for tractors and forage harvesters. He will collaborate with AGCO’s international engineering teams, driving advancements in data handling, autonomy, and product development.

Josef Mayer studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich, specializing in drive technology and systematic product development, before earning his doctorate from TUM.

Dr. Josef Mayer joined Fendt in November 2014 as Team Leader for Drive Technology Testing, where he played a key role in developing the Fendt VarioDrive powertrain for the Fendt 1000 Vario—the first standard tractor to surpass 500 hp. Since April 2018, he has led the Vehicle Testing and Prototyping department, overseeing prototype component production, test bench evaluations, and field testing of tractors and software. In 2023, he assumed leadership of Fendt’s transmission development and AGCO Group’s Drivetrain module, focusing on advancing the Vario transmission and defining global strategies for transmissions, front axles, and PTO shafts across brands.

Mr. Christoph Groblinghoff, Vice President & Chairman of the Fendt Management Board EME, said, “Josef Mayer brings to this responsible position both excellent technical knowledge and the leadership experience to manage a team of nearly 750 engineers. He has a deep understanding of agricultural engineering, which will help him to continue developing innovative solutions that support farmers around the world in their work. In addition, Josef Mayer has agricultural expertise and understands the needs of customers, having grown up on a family farm in the Donau-Ries region.”

Fendt Josef Mayer R&D Head