Our Authors
The articles of our blog authors want to contribute to order arguments and opinions, make them assessable and offer an exchange. Every opinion counts – not only in our articles, but also in the user comments. Here you can see who is writing in the TÜV Rheinland Blog:
Alexander Schneider | Senior Manager Corporate Communications
Always looking for exciting stories and topics that are interesting to tell. There are plenty of them in the company. As an “Immi” he enjoys living in Cologne and loves the city as much as his bicycle – with which he also commutes to work every day.
Andy Fuchs | Personnel Marketing
Andy Fuchs is team leader in the area of personnel marketing and responsible for the employer image of TÜV Rheinland. Since communication with applicants is increasingly taking place on different social media channels, posting, sharing, chirping and blogging are also a major part of his daily work. Born in East Westphalia, he moved to Cologne 15 years ago, where the joie de vivre of the Rhinelanders in general and the people of Cologne in particular initially seemed like a small culture shock. In the meantime, however, a life without the cathedral, Rhine and carnival is hardly imaginable for him.
Anja Paffen | Social Media Manager
Anja Paffen is a cologne girl with heart and soul and loves especially the 5th season. TÜV Rheinland has been accompanying her throughout her professional life. Starting with a commercial apprenticeship and the subsequent evening studies to become a PR Manager, she has been working as a Social Media Manager in the newsroom for several years now. She is always passionate about what she does and wants to inspire others on the social networks not only of TÜV Rheinland but also of our great employees.
Anna Linn Zafiris | Head of Social Media
When she’s not posting pictures of vegan food or street art on Instagram, she can usually be found on one of her bicycles, at flea markets, strolling around Cologne or at the yoga studio. If you can’t find her there either, she is travelling and exploring temples or volcanoes in faraway countries.
Antje Golbach | Spokesperson Systeme
Antje Golbach is press spokesperson for the Systems division and also deals with social media networks relating to the certification of management systems. She appreciates the diversity of topics in the communications department at TÜV Rheinland, the constant familiarisation with new topics and the fact that no day is like the previous one. To compensate for the time spent at her desk, she enjoys jogging through Cologne’s Green Belt and going on hiking excursions in the nearby Eifel mountains. She also likes to swap the forest floor for the yoga mat occasionally.
Astrid Dorsch | Head of Corporate Sponsoring
Astrid Dorsch is Head of Corporate Sponsoring in the newsroom at TÜV Rheinland. In addition to her job, she also organizes events such as Technology Night or the employee summer party. Born in Hamburg and raised in Cologne, she has made traveling the center of her professional and private life. She tries to incorporate as much culture, sport and enjoyment as possible in her travels. Politically, professionally and privately, she firmly believes in community and is a passionate networker. She likes to be wherever new topics or open-minded and interesting people can be found.
Dr. Benedikt Westermann | Publishing - Lead Security Analyst
The topic of Cybersecurity with its various facets has fascinated Dr. Benedikt Westermann since his studies of computer science. At TÜV Rheinland, he and his team regularly slip into the role of a hacker on behalf of customers in order to find security gaps in software, products and systems before a real attacker can exploit them, for example to get hold of customer and company data. Besides Cybersecurity, his hobbies include cooking and cycling.
Birte Micheels | Marketing Manager
From the coast to the carnival City of Cologne. Born in Schleswig-Holstein, Birte Micheels has been at home in the carnevalistic Rhineland since 2015. As a marketing manager she combines Nordic reserve and Rhenish cheerfulness. In her private life she can be found outside a lot, preferably sailing on the Baltic Sea, but also on beautiful bike routes and hiking trails far away.
Björn Koßmann | Head of Seminars
Björn Koßmann is Head of Seminars, North Section at TÜV Rheinland Academy. A Hamburg resident for more than ten years, he frequently enjoys the exchange between the Elbe and Rhine rivers. “At our sites in Hamburg and Hanover, we combine the openness typical of the Rhineland with Hanseatic reliability and thus offer our customers the perfect environment for their continued professional development.” In his spare time, Björn Koßmann explores the world with his family in a VW Bus and likes to exchange ideas with people from all over the world about important topics – and sometimes less important ones as well.
Carlo Kammler | Network Consulting & Planning
In the Network Consulting & Planning department, Carlo Kammler’s work focuses on electromobility and the development of a charging infrastructure. The graduate economist (M.Sc.) advises both the public sector and companies in this respect. He has been with TÜV Rheinland Consulting GmbH since 2016 and is responsible for projects on a national and international level – from intelligent power supply to technical implementation consulting for an innovative charging station concept in the automotive industry.
Christian Rudnick | Area Manager Kraftfahrt
Christian Rudnick is Leverkusen Area Manager at TÜV Rheinland Kraftfahrt GmbH. In addition to take care of his strategic tasks, having responsibility for employees and handling customer service, he continues to examine vehicles himself, carries out modification acceptances, modification assessments, individual acceptances and driver’s license tests. This ensures that he never loses touch with the company’s core business. When he is not working for TÜV Rheinland, he likes to spend plenty of time with his family – either in the garden or “on the road” with their trailer. “Should my family not have time either, I am busy with gradually setting up a smart home infrastructure at our house.”
Christoph Bois | IT Demand Manager
Christoph Bois is an IT Demand Manager and in charge of the Industrial Services and Digital Transformation & Cybersecurity business streams. He has been a certified project manager since 2011 and has been intensively involved in project, portfolio and demand management in various industries for 20 years. Since he has already worked for “both sides” in his professional life, he sees his job primarily as being an “interpreter” between operations and IT. The trained economist, who has a soft spot for Canada, has remained true to his home town of Lohmar in the Rhineland – with the exception of the years he spent studying at the University of Wuppertal. Animal welfare is an issue that is very close to his heart, and he has been doing voluntary work in this field for fifteen years.
Frank Ehlert | Head of Internal Communications & Corporate Publishing
Frank Ehlert is the head of the Internal Communications and Corporate Publishing team in TÜV Rheinland’s newsroom. He studied business administration and is a creative mind and lateral thinker. Frank Ehlert has lived with his family in Cologne for many years. He is a fan of 1. FC Köln, the football team from Cologne, plays guitar and is known there to turn up the volume.
Franziska Weiser | Head of Competence Center Digital Mobility Services
Franziska Weiser is responsible for the area of “Digital Mobility Services” in the Future Mobility Solutions team and is the project manager for the development of the “Data Fiduciary Platform for Fleet Services”. She is always looking for new experiences – professionally or privately. No matter if they arise from the development of new services in the field of shared economy, Connected Car Data or digital damage management or if they occur while sailing through Alaska, eating Okonomiyaki food in Japan or climbing in the Himalayas.
Frauke Boeck | Senior Communication Manager
Communication and other cultures are her passion: Frauke Boeck is always up for a good conversation and on the lookout for exciting people and their stories. She has been with TÜV Rheinland for 21 years and currently works in the Newsroom, where she is responsible for both the Group-wide employee magazine and the knowledge magazine. With German roots and a Spanish heart, she gets new inspirations when traveling and while painting.
Hans-Peter Pape | Product Certification Body
Hans-Peter Pape is Deputy Head of the Product Certification Body at TÜV Rheinland. His responsibilities in this role include coordinating the certification of toys, personal protective equipment and textiles in Germany and abroad. He joined TÜV Rheinland in Japan back in 1985 and later opened and managed the subsidiary in Korea. He has always been concerned with the question of how mankind intends to handle our planet and has already implemented numerous projects in his private domain ranging from rainwater collection to thermal insulation.
Inès Culmey | Social Media Manager
At work, she analyses everything that TÜV Rheinland reveals on the WWW and Social Net. At home, she keeps her children in the picture. Because her son and daughter always come first. When she has time for herself, she enjoys French films or meets with friends.
Innocenzo Caria | Product Manager
Innocenzo Caria is Project Manager Energy Management and Deputy Product Manager and Auditor for ISO 50001 at TÜV Rheinland Cert. His life is all about energy: while he audits all aspects of energy management at TÜV Rheinland, his private energy saving concept at home is sometimes shaken by the recent recruitment of new staff. But as a member of the voluntary fire brigade he is used to dangerous situations and usually stays quite cool. When there is time left besides family and job, he goes squashing. Even if others might not yet call this squash…
Iris Dohmen | Organisational Psychology
Iris Dohmen is the head of work, industrial and organisational psychology at TÜV Rheinland. The graduate psychologist has been working nationwide in corporate psychology for 20 years. She analyses psychological stress, advises on the subject of “healthy leadership” and is available to assist employees and managers in word and deed. Iris Dohmen lives in Berlin. Her heart beats for the Münsterland, Great Britain, the Opera and the BVB Borussia Dortmund.
Jan Scholten | Product Marketing Manager Mobility
The idea of getting from A to B automatically in the future, without having to worry about the vehicle, inspires the Product Marketing Manager. That’s why he is professionally involved in automated driving via electric mobility – whether it’s e-scooters or urban mobility solutions in a smart city environment. These topics always become a highlight for Jan when they are presented in the form of videos.
Jennifer Kriesten | Communication Manager
Jennifer is a Communication Manager in the TÜV Rheinland Newsroom. For years, she has organized internal events and has had the opportunity to get to know many colleagues worldwide. Freshly back from parental leave, she is again working on internal networking, but this time on a more technical level. Jennifer likes to work creatively, but keeping track of things is essential for her.
Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Althaus | Segment Manager Photovoltaic Power Plant Services
Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Althaus is segment manager for photovoltaic power plant services at TÜV Rheinland. As a long-standing technical expert in the field of solar energy, he represents TÜV Rheinland in industry associations, speaks at technical forums and has contributed to many international industry standards. He has lived in Cologne for 20 years and at the same time has international responsibilities. Whenever he stays at one place for too long, he misses meeting a wide variety of cultures and people on business or personal trips. As a diver, he likes to immerse himself in the fascination of the underwater world to relax from the hustle and bustle of an increasingly fast-paced world.
Jörg Meyer zu Altenschildesche | Spokesperson
I live near the Dutch border, which I can stand, because I work in Cologne and therefore see the Dom every day. I am a spokesperson, but I don’t just speak, I also like to write – and have been doing so for almost 50 years. Many topics that move me were already exciting back then: football or environmental protection, globalisation or social justice, digitalisation or even the whole world.
Johannes Weber | Senior Security Engineer
Johannes is a network security consultant at TÜV Rheinland i-sec GmbH. He has a master’s degree in IT-Security (thesis: IPv6 Security) and works with different network technologies such as IPv6, VPNs, DNSSEC, NTP, and Wireshark. At customer sites, Johannes works with next-generation firewalls, mail- and DNS-appliances, as well as classical routers/switches.
Kai Ulrich | Innovation Facilitator
Is an innovation facilitator and moderates business and innovation processes. He supports colleagues in transforming expert knowledge into desired products, new services and sustainable business models with the help of e.g. rapid design. His favourite place is the Innovation Space on the 18th floor in Cologne, because here you can discover new perspectives and try out new ways of working. Kai is also a pitch doctor and loves to talk about Moonshot Thinking.
Katharina Kentel | Toy testing expert
The source of all good lies in the game. – F.W.A. Fröbel (1782-1852), German educator [founded the first kindergarten in 1840]. It was not only through her entry into toy testing at the beginning of 2017 that TÜV Rheinland expert Katharina Kentel discovered her enthusiasm for toys. In her private life, too, game evenings with family and friends are regularly on her calendar, and on team evenings she likes to play cards until the early hours of the morning. Now she has developed the certificate “Excellent Play Value” with pedagogical evaluation, so that our children are also supported in their development when playing.
Kerstin Ferber | Corporate Communications
Kerstin Ferber works in the corporate communications team at TÜV Rheinland. She has been involved in the field of communication since her studies, and over the years she has gained a lot of experience in various areas of communication. Her current area of work and interest is internal communication. Before joining TÜV Rheinland, she lived and worked in countries near and far. Now she lives happily and contentedly with her family in the Rhineland and sometimes wonders how close the good can actually lie, unless she is stuck in traffic again.
Lea Probst | Security Consultant
Lea Probst has been working at TÜV Rheinland as a security consultant in Mastering Risk & Compliance since 2019. Prior to this, she gained extensive experience in project management and worked as a data protection officer in the financial sector. Lea advises several companies on privacy issues and works on various projects such as data erasure strategies and requirements and inspection catalogs for data protection certificates.
Nicole Krzemien | SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER + SPOKESPERSON
Every day she is fascinated anew by her diverse job and her expert colleagues. She is eager to learn and tries to incorporate innovations into her everyday life. She loves the balancing act between work and family, enjoys being on or near the water and reads even more than she writes.
Nigel Stanley | Global OT & Cybersecurity
Nigel Stanley is responsible for Global OT and Cybersecurity at TÜV Rheinland and a recognized expert on complex cyber security projects. With his know-how and practical experience, he helps many small and large companies to protect themselves against the increasing cyber risks. He has also written three books on database and development technologies and is a regular speaker at international events and conferences.
Norman Hübner | Spokesperson Cybersecurity & digital Transformation
Norman Hübner is press spokesperson for the topics digital Transformation and Cybersecurity at TÜV Rheinland. As a friend of space research and a fan of science fiction, he is elated by the possibilities of the digital change. In his free time, the father of two is a family man. In his daily work, prudence and mutual respect for the added value of his colleagues are important to him.
Phillip Meyers | Head of Innovation Academy & Life Care
Phillip Meyers leads the innovation team of the Academy & Life Care business stream and is also active in the international management of TÜV Rheinland Academy. To further internationalize a company with a lot of history, such as TÜV Rheinland, and to take innovative paths at the same time, attracts him every day anew. The many contacts that he has built up over the years with his global colleagues are the basis for him to leverage this great potential. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family and friends in his home country, the Rhineland.
Rainer Weiskirchen | Press Spokesman
Rainer Weiskirchen is TÜV Rheinland press spokesman in Nuremberg, Franconia, and therefore has no problem using the Southern German dialect term “Fasching” instead of the “carnival” on Western Germany’s RTL breakfast television. When he’s not talking to the press, he’s busy organizing the Long Night of Sciences, preparing the indoor marathon or running as TÜV Rheinland Panda at the ToonWalk.
Regine Gralla-Züge | Marketing Manager
Regine Gralla-Züge is Marketing Manager in Cologne. Her stations at TÜV Rheinland are as varied as her fields of work and her specialist expertise: international training and further education, health and safety at work, trade fairs and events. In her free time, she enjoys reading detective stories or is travelling to Italy. In addition to Italian “Dolce Vita”, good food and art & culture, her heart beats for the S04 football club.
Rolf Vesenmaier | Media Relations
Rolf Vesenmaier is a press officer in TÜV Rheinland´s newsroom. As a trained wholesale and foreign trade merchant, he moved to the press department of TÜV Rheinland in 2000 after many different stations in the Cologne/Bonn area. Even today, he cannot imagine a better job or more fantastic colleagues. Born in the beautiful Ahr region, he has always been drawn back there privately. Every working day he still enjoys looking at the Cologne Cathedral. He goes to ice hockey (Kölner Haie), soccer (Borussia Mönchengladbach), likes to fire up the grill (unfortunately too seldom) and celebrates the Cologne carnival.
Sabine Hager | HRD & Diversity
Sabine Hager is Diversity Manager in HRD & Diversity at TÜV Rheinland and is convinced that the diversity of the workforce is an important contribution to corporate success and employee satisfaction. Only in an open and unprejudiced corporate culture can all employees*develop their full potential. Equal opportunities – also in the management positions of the economy – is just as important to her as the compatibility of career and family. That’s a topic that she can also push personally in her latest project as a granny.
Sarah Stark | Industrial Services
Sarah Stark, TÜV Rheinland Japan, Industrial Services. Has been in Japan for so long she has to count the years when asked how long it has been. Most of them spent at TÜV Rheinland Japan. During work-hours, she uses her many languages arranging inspections all around the globe. After work, she rides home on packed trains to work on her PhD – in total spending far too much time starring at computer screens. She lets off steam by watching comedy shows and movies.
Dr. Stefanie Schneider | Security Consultant
Stefanie Schneider is a Security Consultant (Data Protection Department) in the “Mastering Risk and Compliance” department of TÜV Rheinland i-sec GmbH. In her function as external data protection officer (eDSB) she advises various companies in the production and service sectors. Stefanie Schneider is a certified company data protection officer (GDDcert EU), PC network specialist and certified MCSE, MCPI and CNA.
Stefan Ritter | Innovation Facilitator
Stefan Ritter has been working as an innovation facilitator in the area of innovation and digitization since September 2018. He is a Design Thinking Coach, in this role he supports project teams and trains colleagues. In addition, he is an expert for new, agile, self-leading forms of work and organization. With his knowledge and experience from different environments he supports cultural change, the implementation of new working approaches in projects and programmes. He is also heavily involved with digital tools – always keeping the impact and work behind the tool in mind. In addition to these activities – which for him are more of a vocation than a profession – he likes to be creative in his own kitchen or on the balcony, or he enjoys walking or running with his dog.
Stefan Eigler | Mastering Risk & Compliance
Stefan Eigler has been in charge of data protection at TÜV Rheinland as Practice Leader Mastering Risk & Compliance since mid-2018. As a recognized Asia expert, he set up TÜV Rheinland’s data protection Consulting Services group in Shenzhen, Greater China, with local colleagues and developed it further in numerous local customer projects. Stefan Eigler is a Master of Laws (Compliance) and a Diplomwirtschaftsinformatiker (University degree in Business Information Technology) as well as a certified CISM, CISA, CCSP, ISO27001 Lead Auditor and SAP CBA. As a proud Rhinelander, he prefers to spend his free time exploring the region with his wife and children and their two dogs.
Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Köster | Head of the Technical Competence Center Industrial Machinery
Head of the Technical Competence Center Industrial Machinery at TÜV Rheinland. Studied electrical engineering at the Technical University of Berlin. Started his career in 1996 in the electrical engineering test laboratory of TÜV Rheinland Japan in Yokohama. Since 2005 employed at TÜV Rheinland in Germany in the area of machine safety and laboratory manager for industrial machinery until 2020. Since 2020 global coordinator of the Machinery segment at TÜV Rheinland. Member of German and European committees in the area of machinery safety.
Tobias Hainke | Digital Learning
Tobias Hainke is project manager in the Digital Learning Team of TÜV Rheinland Akademie GmbH. People and their learning in Web 2.0 and other web generations fascinate the e-learning specialist. He outlines his motivation as followed: “I am just as impressed by how people as social beings move and learn in new learning spaces as I am by the exciting question of implementing new forms of teaching at TÜV Rheinland. When Tobias Hainke does not deal with questions of blended learning, travel is one of his hobbies. His last trip took him through Africa in a jeep, for example, where he was particularly impressed by the knowledge of foreign cultures and the beauty of the landscape.
Viktoria Kux | Social Media Manager
Whether it’s a new photo for Instagram, a video for YouTube, or a strategic concept, her work is all about social networking. Not only at work, but also in her private life, she is very active. Between a newly built house, the desire to travel and sports, there is no room for boredom.
Dr. Wilma Hartung | Head of the Medical Devices
As the Head of the Medical Devices Business Field in Germany, Dr. Wilma Hartung focusses on ensuring the quality of medical devices. Over the last 20 years at TÜV Rheinland, she gained deep insights into the industry in a variety of roles, whether locally as an on-site expert/auditor, or worldwide in the global management of the medical devices division. Before joining TÜV Rheinland, Dr. Hartung, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, began her career at a medical device manufacturer and therefore has first-hand knowledge of the challenges in development and production. She likes to travel to exotic countries, especially with beautiful diving areas. But as a “echt kölsch Määdche” she also looks forward to the sight of the Cologne Cathedral every time. In her free time she plays volleyball, soccer and rides her bike every day a detour to the TÜV Rheinland to get to 18 km distance…
Wolfgang Partz | Spokesman Mobility
As spokesman for the Mobility Division in the newsroom of TÜV Rheinland, Wolfgang Partz is responsible for internal and external communications. Whether it is the organization of press conferences, attending events or maintaining contacts with media representatives – Wolfgang Partz knows: Networking is everything! That’s why he not only knows what moves the industry, but also who is interested. In his private life he likes it rather quiet. Swimming in the sea, gardening, enjoying Italian cuisine and cooking are some of his favorite activities.
Wolfgang Kiener | Center of Excellence
Wolfgang Kiener (M.Sc.) heads up the Center of Excellence for Advanced Threats in the Cybersecurity department of TÜV Rheinland. He is responsible for the strategic service development in threat management and operational technology security (industrial security). With more than 15 years of professional experience in major international corporations such as Siemens, T-Systems, Verizon and CSC, Wolfgang boasts extensive experience in the development of innovative security services taking into account technological and commercial aspects. He holds a number of IT and security certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCSK, ITIL, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer und GIAC.
Wolfram Stahl | Press spokesperson Berlin
Press spokesperson in Berlin. Former radio editor, reporter and presenter at WDR in Cologne, then correspondent in Berlin. Someone who knows little about much and much about little. That’s why he’s a great jack-of all-trades, but pretty useless as a specialist. Special skill: to quickly become familiar with a topic. Motto: Just do it! And make it simple! For nothing is too complicated to be made comprehensible. And since impatience is one of his greatest strengths, doing things is easier than waiting anyway.