FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Thyssenkrupp is likely to appoint company veteran Peter Walker to succeed Andreas Schierenbeck as the chief executive of its elevators unit, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

No official decision has been made and other candidates could still be considered for the position, the people added. Sources on Monday said that Schierenbeck would be replaced.

Thyssenkrupp declined to comment. Schierenbeck and Walker, who became chief operating officer of the elevator unit in February, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Walker, who grew up in Sydney, joined the group in 1995.

The move underscores efforts by new group CEO Kerkhoff to improve performance at all of Thyssenkrupp's divisions, faced with the ambitious task of spinning off the conglomerate's capital goods businesses over the next 12 to 18 months.

The management reshuffle at elevators comes only weeks after a similar revamp at the group's plant engineering division.

Selling elevators is Thyssenkrupp's most profitable business, but margins are behind Finland's rival Kone and the unit had to cuts its outlook twice this year.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor and Christoph Steitz; editing by Thomas Seythal and Maria Sheahan)

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