Everything is connected

After his studies (sports, media & communication at the TU Munich), Clemens Feigl worked as a freelance moderator for 7 years. Four years ago he moderated a discussion panel with Marcella Hansch and was fascinated by her idea to free the oceans from microplastics. He is now a permanent part of everwave, responsible for the PR and marketing team and co-founder of the GmbH. everwave is a non-profit organization with a revolutionary idea: a floating platform that enables the filtering of plastics and plastic particles from the water, without harming fish or other marine organisms.

Joost Geginat is the president of GF Piping Systems and a member of the executive committee. He has extensive international experience in strategic and operational consulting in a wide range of industries. Before joining GF Piping Systems, Joost Geginat held several top positions at the strategy consultancy Roland Berger: in Germany as Partner, in Switzerland as Chief Operating Officer and in Singapore as Managing Partner for Southeast Asia. From 2014 to 2016, he was also Senior Managing Director and Partner at Alix Partners LLP in Zurich.

Christopher Dühnen was appointed Head of Building Technologies and member of the executive committee at GF Piping Systems in April 2020. Prior to joining GF Piping Systems, Christopher Dühnen worked for Xylem and Sensus in various positions since 2010: from 2017 to 2020, he was Head of Global Key Accounts Water Infrastructure and Industrial Solutions. From 2012 to 2017 he held the position VP Sales EMEA & Asia-Pacific and from 2010 to 2012 VP Sales Europe / South America / Asia-Pacific. From 2007 to 2010, Christopher Dühnen worked for Merkel Freudenberg Fluidtechnic as Area Manager Heavy Industry. Prior to that, he held various sales manager positions in South America and Asia in the international public and private utility market as well as in mechanical and industrial engineering. Christopher Dühnen holds an MBA from the Baden-Württemberg Export Academy and a degree in engineering from Darmstadt Technical University.

Cédric Waldburger is a perpetually curious entrepreneur who started his first company when he was just 14. Since then, Cédric has built and help grow a handful of tech companies and is currently general partner at Tomahawk.VC where he invests in founders and teams who are shaking up the future of FinTech and Decentralized Finance. During his time shaping global-first companies Cédric decided to get rid of most of his personal belongings except for 64 things and continues to live his life as an essentialist, focusing his energy on people and ideas.

Johannes Thoma is Head of Global Product Management BT at Georg Fischer JRG. He is responsible for the global product management of building technology product range. His daily focus includes product innovation, product development, marketing and sales.

Tim Lichy looks back on 10 years of experience in digital marketing & sales. As Digital Marketing Manager of ROHM Semiconductor (Japanese electronics manufacturer), he was responsible for the development and expansion of the digital communication & distribution strategy in the EMEA region. Digitalization and continuous improvement of the customer journey is always in focus for Tim. While he was responsible for the development and launch of the first concern-wide application for the digital enhancement of the customer journey for ROHM Semiconductor, among others, he dealt intensively with the possibilities of a complete digitalization of credit application processes in the end consumer business (Qlick) during his time as Marketing Manager at BAWAG Group. He has been applying his passion for data-driven marketing, marketing automation, social selling & lead nurturing to business development at LA CONCEPT since 2019. As Head of Marketing at NEYROO, he combines all this with event transformation, detached from space and time.

It was only at the beginning of 2019 that René Habers took over as Head of Marketing and Presales at GF Piping Systems (Germany). Since then, however, the trained plumber and graduate engineer in supply technology has clearly trimmed the company in the direction of digitalization. Even before the pandemic, René focused on building and implementing concepts of storytelling, social media awareness, social selling and active digital lead generation. René also responded directly to the crisis by setting up his own trade show studio in his company's production halls. He invested in broadcasting technology and produced his own streams, webinars and webcasts for GF Piping Systems' customers.

Roland Gisin is Managing Director of GF JRG AG. His career is emblematic of his passion: "Shaping change": It began in the automotive industry and then took him to the chemical industry for a full 26 years. Among other things, he worked there on plastic additives for high-purity and food-contact applications. After graduating with a degree in mechanical and industrial engineering and further training in business administration, change management, lean and digitalization, he first joined ABB and then GF JRG AG. In his free time, he hones his careful use of resources and his vision, for which his colleagues at GF JRG AG appreciate him, by hiking in the Alps.

"Never again will the pace of impending change be as slow as it is today!" - and now? Change, with all its changes, has once again turned on the "turbo". Corona has forced us to a standstill and thus at the same time acted like a fire accelerator on the developments and failures of the last thirty years. The virus is now relentlessly exposing the systemic flaws in our social and economic system. For decades, we ignored the emerging crises: Climate catastrophes, species extinction, increasing migration, waste crises, environmental destruction, growing inequality, factory farming and Dieselgate. Was such a global emergency as we are currently experiencing inevitable? It seems as if nature wants to assert itself against humanity and make an example. We are suddenly forced to pause. To pause to question ourselves and our system in its entirety. As brutal as the events and consequences of the virus are for us, it is nevertheless time for a new beginning. A chance to re-sort ourselves, to recognize and fix the root causes of our problems instead of numbing the symptoms. Only now, when physical togetherness is made more difficult for us by Covid-19, is the importance of the Internet and digitalization slowly being perceived for what they are: The infrastructure of our future prosperity.

Two Wuppertal natives put love and lo-fi on the international DJ map. With their only original song released to date, "Be The One," the DJ project climbed to nearly three million Spotify streams in a very short time and also inspires a large part of its 24,000 strong monthly listeners (on Spotify alone) in L.A., London and New York. Although the sound of the "Viral Top 50 USA" hit could easily come from the cosmopolitan metropolises of the Western world, it originates from the peripheral....Wuppertal.

Oliver Fronk has been an employee at Prior1 for almost 10 years and is responsible for sales throughout Germany. When he started his job, his MindSet changed almost completely and sustainability became the focus of his thinking. Thus, in 2012 and 2013 he developed innovative concepts for sustainable data centers, which were awarded with international prizes. For about 6 years, he has been advocating for sustainable mobility concepts and is an external consultant for the Department of Environment and Transport in his home town. In 2020, he used the lockdown to train as a Climate Reality Leader at Al Gore's Academy "Climate Reality Project". His goal is to combine sustainability and digitalization and thus contribute to reducing the CO2 footprint.

Helmut Jedinger is Head of Product Management and Marketing at Georg Fischer Fittings GmbH. His responsibilities include the certification of threaded fittings and PRIMOFIT compression fittings, as well as participation in national and international standards committees. He also acts as a key account manager for special customer groups and markets. As the son of a installer and an engineer for mechanical engineering, sanitary, air-conditioning and heating technology, he has been involved in the field of building technologies for a very long time. After initial work experience in the industry and a business management education, he found his way to Georg Fischer as early as 1996, first as an employee in quality assurance, then as a quality management representative, and took the next step into marketing, which later integrated product management under his leadership. Bringing the "customer's mindset" into the strategic development of the company is an important concern for him, and marketing an innovation that has endured in the market for 157 years in the meantime has become a passion.

Als Gründer des Messebauers LA CONCEPT greift der Kaufmann für audiovisuelle Medien und Eventmanager auf mehr als 17 Jahre Erfahrungen als Unternehmer zurück. Schaper sieht in Krisen die Chance und findet in Herausforderungen die Lösung. Diese Fähigkeiten nutzt er aktuell gemeinsam mit Daniel Moj im Bereich real digitale Events bei NEYROO. Die beiden wollen nicht nur einen Ersatz für ausgefallene Messen bieten, sie wollen vielmehr das Event neu erfinden

Christian Pradl joined GF Piping Systems in July 2018 and is product manager for PRIMOFIT compression fittings and responsible for certifications of malleable cast iron products. As an automation engineer, Christian has additionally gained many years of experience in field sales and regional sales management of manufacturing machines. With this experience and technical background, Christian was finally drawn to product development. He started as a developer for mechatronic access systems in building technology. From 2008 to 2018, he then worked as a strategic product developer for steel wire ropes in the ropeway and mining sector, responsible for certifications in passenger transport and managing the test & inspection facilities for special wire ropes. Traveling internationally, talking to customers face to face, he was able to gain extensive knowledge in strategic product development and project management and to help build new business areas. Customer needs, customer benefits and customer satisfaction are his top priorities.

"Most people take a flawlessly functioning building technologies for granted. The diligence, the know-how and the planning effort that goes into such a project is often not perceived. In order to maintain the self-image of smooth biuilding technologies, it is important for us to build up relationships based on partnership. We want to network, exchange ideas and learn from each other. Only when there is a seamless exchange between investor, engineering office, plant constructor and supplier, the projects are also crowned with success." With this conviction, Kevin Blumberg, who studied industrial engineering (M.Sc.), has been working for Georg Fischer Piping Systems Germany for the Cooling market segment in Germany since 2017. As a trained technician for refrigeration systems, he can look back on 10 years of experience in refrigeration technology.

"Reduce to the Max" - Reduce things, processes, interfaces to the essentials in order to increase simplicity and efficiency during their application. This slogan was the guiding principle behind the development of Georg Fischer's pre-insulated COOL-FIT piping systems. Both systems are used in global cooling applications and are gaining in popularity four years after their market launch. Both piping systems are unique on the world market and offer advantages that could not be achieved with previous systems. As Head of Pre-Insulated Systems, Daniel Dossenbach is in charge of Global Product Management for pre-insulated systems at GF Piping Systems. He looks back on more than 20 years of experience in product management and, together with his team, has coordinated the market launch of the COOL-FIT systems and further developed the systems.

Henning Artmann is responsible for Business Development Fire Protection and Timber Construction for Hilti in Central Europe. After studying materials science at TU Dresden and KTH Stockholm, he completed an MBA program at the Collège des Ingénieurs in Paris and Munich. Cooperations and partnerships accompany him through his various professional stations. In aviation, he shaped the cooperation between European companies in the Europrop International (EPI) engine consortium. After joining Hilti in 2014 in product development fire protection, he started working in product management together with the experts of GF Piping Systems in Central Europe from 2017. Convinced of the added value of a partnership, he is currently expanding the cooperation with leading wood element manufacturers for structural timber engineering.

Olaf Hübner has been Managing Director at ONI-Wärmetrafo GmbH since 2015. He is a trained mechanical engineer and graduate in business administration. Before joining ONI, he was CEO at Tsubaki Kabelschlepp GmbH, among others. Since the early 1990s, he has traveled internationally for various companies and lived and worked in Asia for more than five years. During this time he established 14 subsidiaries, mainly in the Asian region. In his private life, Olaf Hübner is a passionate mountain biker and swimmer.

After 26 years in the R&D department, where he has worked for several years as a project and team leader with a focus on tubes/tools/testing laboratory, he has accepted a new challenge as head of the toolmaking department as of May 1, 2021 due to an internal organizational change. Martin was part of the development of the Sanipex MT system, which celebrates now its 20 year anniversary.

Based on a classical apprenticeship as a plumber and a subsequent master training for sanitary and heating construction, Oliver started at GF Piping Systems in 2007. In addition to his studies, he taught evening and weekend courses focusing on heat, energy for tradesmen, engineers and architects. In 2008 he joined GF JRG and is since then localized in Sissach . Today he is the responsible Product Manager of the Sanipex MT system, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Simon Obrist is Product Manager at Georg Fischer JRG. He is responsible for automation and remote access to drinking water installations. His product range includes the intelligent and networked products Hycleen Automation System and Hycleen Connect. With a background in science, an interest in IoT and a passion for sustainability, he has intensively addressed the topics of digital drinking water hygiene and energy efficiency in hot water supply.

Ozan Kovancı is the Head of Product Management and Innovation at GF Hakan Plastik, Turkey. He has been with GF for 3.5 years. Ozan is originally a mechanical engineer and has completed his MSc degree in materials science. His main role is to manage the product portfolio of GF Hakan BT and Utility. With his R&D background, he also acts as the head of innovation activities. Ozan's main focus is to develop and implement new ideas for sustainability in an innovative and market-oriented way. Apart from the performance and key benefits of the successfully launched products GF Aquasystem PP-RCT and Silenta Extreme, he is also keen to explain how these new products add value to the environment as a sustainable solution.

Kornel Daron has been working in the company Daron Technik since 2013. He gained his first experience directly during the installation on the construction site. The next years he worked as a Project Manager and now he has been the Managing Director in the company for three years. Daron Technik was founded 25 years ago by his father Franz Daron, who is still involved in the company. The company has been carrying out installations throughout Europe for over 15 years, most of them in Germany. Daron Technik established partnerships with several German companies. These relations allow a stable development. By making loyalty, reliability and top quality his first priority, Daron Technik is highly appreciated by his customers, which leads to long-term partnerships. Since Kornel Daron grew up in Germany and also spent time there during his studies of civil engineering, he is able to speak the language fluently. In his private life, he is the father of two small children, who keep him busy even after work.