(Frankfurt a. M., 05.12.2024) As Head of VDE Mobility, Dr. Ralf Petri already has many points of contact with the ETG's main areas of work: the topics of electromobility, charging infrastructure and battery technology are closely linked to the technological challenges posed by the development of energy systems in Germany, for example. With the All Electric Society, the overlaps are likely to become even greater in the future, says industrial engineer Petri: "With the Power Engineering Society, we are creating a platform for exchange between science and industry on the transformation of the energy system. We are perceived as a competent partner in this field in the social discourse. My aim is to involve the ETG even more closely in politics and to address additional target groups."
Accelerate energy transformation
ETG Chairwoman Dr. Britta Buchholz is looking forward to the collaboration: "Ralf Petri has a lot of experience in building networks and also brings a new perspective from the mobility sector to the discussions surrounding the future energy system. We can only benefit from this. My heartfelt thanks go to Dr. Thomas Benz, who has managed the ETG's business excellently for over nine years."
Accelerating the energy transformation, attracting young talent and making the study of energy technology more attractive - this is how outgoing Managing Director Dr. Thomas Benz sums up the biggest challenges at the moment: "It has always been a particular concern of mine to communicate the topics from the ETG not only to experts, but also to the general public in an understandable way. This gets us more attention, also in politics. Artificial intelligence, the transition to a multi-energy system and the integration of hydrogen as a molecular energy source into our power supply - these topics are becoming increasingly important in the energy sector."
Vita Dr. Ralf Petri
Dr. Ralf Petri studied industrial engineering at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences and graduated with a Master of Science. He completed his doctorate at the Technical University of Braunschweig as part of a doctoral position sponsored by Volkswagen Group China. In 2015, he completed his doctorate with a Dr.-Ing. degree on the topic of "Technology-based material cost model for Li-ion battery cells in electromobility". After working at Robert Bosch Battery Systems and Audi AG in Ingolstadt, Petri joined the VDE in 2018. First as Head of the Mobility Department at the standardization organization DKE, since 2020 as Head of the Mobility Division of the VDE Group.
Vita Dr. Thomas Benz
Dr. Thomas Benz has been Managing Director of the VDE Energy Technology Society since November 1, 2015. He studied and completed his doctorate at the Institute for Electrical Energy Systems and High Voltage Technology at the University of Karlsruhe (TH, now the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT). From 1993 to 2015, Benz held various management positions at ABB AG, including more than ten years as head of the "Electrical System Consulting" department in the "Electrical Grids" division. Most recently, he was Head of Energy Policy for ABB's Power Products and Power Systems divisions in Germany. In this function, Benz reported directly to the Power Engineering Board of ABB in Germany.
