Circus SE (XETRA: CA1), a German dual-use technology company specializing in autonomous robotics and AI, has announced the appointment of Jurgen Thamm to its Supervisory Board. Thamm, who brings over two decades of experience in global food service operations, was elected by shareholders at the company's Annual General Meeting with an overwhelming 98.35 percent approval. His addition comes at a pivotal time as Circus accelerates its commercial rollout, aiming to have more than 50 autonomous systems operational across nine countries by the end of the year.
Thamm's extensive background includes serving as Regional Director Continental Europe and as a member of the Executive Committee at Compass Group, one of the world's largest food services companies, which serves over 5.5 billion meals annually across offices, schools, hospitals, and sports venues. In that role, he was responsible for operations spanning multiple countries and thousands of sites, giving him a deep understanding of scaling complex, distributed food operations—a skill set directly applicable to Circus's growth trajectory.
Since launching commercial operations just ten months ago, Circus has already secured deployments with enterprise and defense customers, including the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) and Ukrainian ground forces. The company's proprietary AI models and autonomous robotic sustainment systems are designed for both civilian and defense applications, with a mission to 'fuel humanity' by building the infrastructure for autonomous food supply.
Thamm's appointment is not his first involvement with Circus; he has been advising the company since 2024. His familiarity with the company's pace of execution and its field-proven technology positions him to provide strategic oversight as Circus scales. 'Circus has built something rare: a robotics and AI platform that is already proving itself in the field, from defense deployments to enterprise rollouts. Having advised the Company since 2024, I've seen the pace of execution firsthand. I'm joining the Supervisory Board to help Circus scale that same discipline as it moves into its next phase of growth,' Thamm said.
Nikolas Bullwinkel, CEO and Founder of Circus, expressed enthusiasm about Thamm's formal appointment, highlighting his industry insights across dozens of markets as exactly what the board needs during this acceleration phase. 'Jurgen has watched Circus scale from close up for almost two years. His industry insights across dozens of markets is exactly what we need on the board as we accelerate our rollout and deepen our position in defense and enterprise. We're glad to have him formally on board,' Bullwinkel said.
Thamm succeeds Mark Harre, who served on the board for nearly three years. Circus thanked Harre for his valuable contributions and commitment to the company's growth. The transition reflects Circus's strategic focus on strengthening its operational governance as it navigates its next phase of expansion, which includes scaling production and deepening its footprint in both defense and enterprise sectors.
The appointment of a seasoned executive from the global food service industry underscores Circus's commitment to operational excellence and its ambition to lead in the autonomous food supply sector. With Thamm's guidance, the company is well-positioned to navigate the complexities of scaling its robotics platform across multiple markets and customer segments.
