The leading German and European mechanical engineering association VDMA has filled two key positions. As of May 1, Dr. Johannes Gernandt will take office as the new VDMA Chief Economist, succeeding Dr. Ralph Wiechers, who is retiring after nearly 34 years with the association. Dr. Wiechers was appointed Chief Economist of VDMA in 2000 and has also been a member of the Executive Board since 2015. Dr. Gernandt is already the head of the Tax Department and the Competence Center for Economic Policy Issues, as well as the Managing Director of the VDMA IMPULS Foundation. He will continue to hold these positions. Also on May 1, Oliver Richtberg will take over the leadership of the Foreign Trade Department, which he has previously been acting in an interim capacity. Richtberg succeeds Ulrich Ackermann, who is also retiring after nearly 39 years with the association.
“The machinery and plant engineering sector has greatly benefited from the knowledge and commitment of Dr. Ralph Wiechers and Ulrich Ackermann over all these years,” says VDMA Executive Director Thilo Brodtmann. “Both are experts in their fields and have also shaped the transformation of the association into a modern, interdisciplinary organization. We wish them all the best and a fulfilling retirement in the time to come,” adds Brodtmann.
With Dr. Johannes Gernandt, 46 years old, the association has appointed an economic policy expert as Chief Economist who is well acquainted with the concerns of the medium-sized machinery and plant engineering sector. Dr. Gernandt was a research associate at ZEW Mannheim and earned his doctorate in economics at the University of Mannheim. He joined VDMA in 2010 as an assistant to the Executive Director and keeps the association on course in terms of regulatory policy.
“VDMA stands for freedom, market economy, and competition, summarized in the term regulatory policy. I feel committed to these values out of conviction and look forward to representing them with more responsibility,” he emphasizes.
Oliver Richtberg, 39 years old, began his career at VDMA in the Foreign Trade Department, where he was responsible for the campaign “Thank You Free Trade.” Subsequently, he managed various strategic projects as a personal assistant to the Executive Director before returning to the Foreign Trade Department. “In a time of increasing geopolitical tension, it is more important than ever to advocate for strong and fair trade relations,” he says. Oliver Richtberg studied economics and politics in Marburg and Cologne and was employed in the German Bundestag in Berlin before his time at VDMA.
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