Carine Chardon Takes Over as Managing Director of GFU Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH

As of November 1, 2025, Carine Chardon has taken over sole management of GFU Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH. She succeeds Dr. Sara Warneke, who has left the company at her own request. With the change at the top, GFU is strategically repositioning itself to further strengthen its role as a source of inspiration and platform for the consumer and home electronics industry.

Under Chardon’s new management, GFU will further expand its role as a center of expertise for the consumer and home electronics market while also setting new thematic priorities. “My goal is to further develop GFU as a cross-interest, forward-looking platform for knowledge, future topics, and industry networking. We want to place greater emphasis on the social and economic policy context of innovations and market movements and intensify the dialogue between industry, retail, and politics. In the future, GFU should provide even stronger impetus, offer guidance, and initiate discussions – even beyond IFA.

“At the same time, we want to specifically seek cooperation with those who represent market segments and thematic diversity – whether associations, organizations, or institutions in Germany and internationally,” adds Chardon. “GFU, as the owner of the IFA brand, stands for its further development and international reputation. At the same time, as a source of inspiration, we want to set accents and topics – close to the industry and the market, publicly relevant, and in the interests of our members.”

With the transition, the management tenure of Dr. Sara Warneke also comes to an end. In recent years, she has strategically shaped GFU and further expanded its position as the brand owner and driving force behind IFA. The shareholders and the Supervisory Board thank her for her commitment, her expertise, and the continuous development of IFA and GFU.