1984 – 1989: Program Manager and translator for official guests of the German government
1989 – 1995: AEG DaimlerBenz Industry: Head of Marketing-Projects and Sales Coordination for Industrial Automation Division
1996 – 2005: Messe Frankfurt Inc. (Atlanta): President
2006 – today: Messe Stuttgart (Germany): President
How did you first get involved in the green industry?I joined Messe Stuttgart in January 2006. In Oct. 2007, we were able to inaugurate our brand-new “green” Convention & Congress Center in Stuttgart, Germany, featuring over 1.1 million square feet of indoor exhibition space under roofs that are partially covered with a special plant mix, while other parts are covered with solar panels. The state-of-the-art buildings feature many more “green” and sustainable elements. In addition, sustainability and green topics are also the theme of many of our trade shows. Messe Stuttgart is proud to host the largest event on sustainability in Europe.
What interests you most about being green?Being “green” is a lifestyle that not only enhances one’s own quality of life, but at the same time also makes a contribution to the conservation of the environment and the earth as a whole. That makes it a classical “win-win” approach to some of the biggest challenges of our times.
What is your biggest “green” pet peeve?Seeing people being careless in littering!
What green trend is most exciting to you or your industry?Converting our energy mix in the direction of using sustainable, regenerative power sources is exciting to see. Germany has official committed to phase out all nuclear power plants and replace them with regenerative power sources. This will be a huge technological challenge for an industrial country. Also, the rapid innovation rate of electric vehicles is fascinating to witness.