Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Driving transformation at the intersection of energy strategy, scientific excellence, and innovation, translating breakthrough research into industrial and societal impact. As Head of the Strategy Department for Energy & Information at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), I lead strategic planning, management processes, and portfolio development across energy research fields including hydrogen & sustainable fuel technologies, solar energy and batteries. My role bridges science, industry collaboration, and energy policy, ensuring alignment between research capabilities, market needs, and policy frameworks. I also serve as Co-Lead of the CARE-O-SENE project, an international flagship research-industry initiative advancing sustainable aviation fuels. The project integrates fundamental science, applied research, and industrial scale-up, demonstrating how strategic management and strong partnerships can accelerate innovation from lab to application. Previously, I held senior roles at the Helmholtz Association head office, where I contributed to system-level research and program management, portfolio steering, and funding processes in close coordination with Helmholtz centers and federal ministries. This experience shaped my strong understanding of science governance, organizational leadership, and policy-driven decision-making.
Strategic management of the research field Energy of the Helmholtz Association (>400 Mio. € per year). My portfolio covers renewable energies, energy efficiency, energy storage and novel grid infrastructures, nuclear fusion and nuclear waste management. Directly advising the president of the Helmholtz Association on all energy related responsibilities Shaping strategy processes for the research field Energy with the CEOs of the participating research centers Representation of the president at official external and internal steering committees and conventions Member of stakeholder panels on the Energiewende consisting of leading scientists in academia, chief executives in the industrial energy sector, and policy makers
Coordinating interdisciplinary research projects with industry partners Scientific consulting for industrial clients Spearheading a technology spin-off initiative
Investigated low-cost crystalline silicon thin film solar cells on glass Coordinated an international research project with CSG Solar Pty Ltd, Australia Supervised two master’s theses