Plenary Speakers 2026
The plenary speakers of this year's Aachen Automotive Colloquium will be published here bit by bit. Follow us also on LinkedIn so you don't miss anything.
Tim Gutheit
Vice President Technology & Innovation Automotive of Infineon Technologies
Manfred Harrer
President & Head of R&D Division of Hyundai Motor Group
Carsten Helbing
Co-CEO and COO of RV Tech
Carsten Helbing is Co-CEO and COO of RV Tech, the joint venture between Rivian and Volkswagen Group building the software-defined vehicle platform for the next generation of vehicles. At RV Tech, Carsten leads the organizational and operational execution behind one of the most closely watched technology partnerships in the automotive industry — bringing together the rigor of deep systems expertise and the pace of a startup to solve a genuinely hard problem.
RV Tech is developing a scalable zonal architecture and software operating system designed for Volkswagen Group brands and Rivian, with the ambition to set a new reference standard for the industry at large. The work sits at the intersection of complex systems engineering, cross-cultural collaboration, and a conviction that the next generation of vehicles will be defined by software. Carsten brings more than two decades of R&D experience at Volkswagen Group, where he previously served as Chief Technology Engineer and as a member of the Executive Board of Volkswagen Group's AI-LAB. His career spans the full arc of automotive transformation — from mechanical engineering fundamentals to the software-defined era — giving him a grounded perspective on both what the industry has built and where it needs to go.
A graduate of Technische Universität Darmstadt, Carsten joined Volkswagen as a graduate engineer and spent over two decades shaping the company's most critical technical decisions before stepping into his current role. Today, he is focused on building the infrastructure that will define how the next generation of vehicles is developed, scaled, and experienced.
Peter Holdmann
Chief Technology Officer of ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Dr. Peter Holdmann is a mechanical and automotive engineer and earned his doctorate at RWTH Aachen University. After research and teaching roles at RWTH Aachen’s Institute of Automotive Engineering (ika), he joined ZF Friedrichshafen AG in 2000, entering industry as a program manager and very quickly assuming leadership responsibility. Over the following years, he held international management positions in car chassis technology and led the global chassis modules business from 2008 to 2015.
Following the acquisition of TRW Automotive, Holdmann moved to the United States in 2015, where he served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for ZF TRW’s chassis business until 2018. Since 2019, he has been leading ZF’s global chassis division.
The Division Car Chassis Technology under his leadership was expanded to include steering and braking activities and was transferred into the newly established Division Chassis Solutions at the beginning of 2024.
Dr Peter Holdmann has been a member of the Board of Management of ZF Friedrichshafen AG since May 2024, responsible for the Division Chassis Solutions, the North and South America regions, and Research and Development. In addition, he assumed the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in March 2026. In this function, he consolidates group-wide technology and engineering governance at Board level.
Antonio Krüger
CEO & Scientific Director, DFKI Head, Cognitive Assistants at Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz GmbH and Prof. of Computer Science, Saarland University
Antonio Krüger is the CEO and Scientific Director of Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz GmbH (DFKI), as well as the Scientific Director of the Cognitive Assistants research department at DFKI.
He has been a professor of computer science and head of the Ubiquitous Media Technology Lab at Saarland University since 2009 and is an internationally renowned expert in human-machine interaction and artificial intelligence (AI).
His research focuses on intelligent user interfaces, user modeling, cognitive sciences, and ubiquitous computing. Professor Krüger studied computer science at Saarland University, completing his doctorate in the subject in 1999.
Marco Liccardo
Chief Technology & Digital Officer at Iveco
Andreas Nauerz
Member of the Executive Board & CPO of IONOS
With more than two decades of leadership experience in the technology and software industry, he has built deep expertise in cloud computing, AI, and digital platforms. Before joining IONOS, he served as CTO and member of the Executive Board at Bosch Digital, leading technology, product, and innovation initiatives for Bosch’s global digital division with around 12,000 employees worldwide. His work focused particularly on generative AI and large-scale digital transformation.
Prior to this, Dr. Nauerz held leadership positions at Bosch.IO, including CEO, Co-CEO, and CTO, where he helped shape the company’s IoT and AI-driven platform strategy. Earlier in his career, he spent more than a decade at IBM and played a key role in the launch of IBM Cloud Functions, IBM’s serverless computing platform.
Having led international teams across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, Dr. Nauerz brings a global perspective on cloud technologies, AI, and digital innovation to the Aachen Automotive Colloquium.
Yuan Shen
SVP & CTO at Geely Holding Group
Dr. Shen obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Geely Holding Group, overseeing product and technology management, investment incubation, and innovation initiatives.
He has long been dedicated to the research of automotive powertrain technologies, with extensive experience in internal combustion engines, and is now leading the development of next-generation power battery technologies.
Dr. Shen has led three national-level projects and over 30 key research and technology development programs. Three engines developed under his leadership successively won the "Top 10 Engines of China Heart" awards in 2014, 2017, and 2018. He has received five provincial and ministerial-level awards, published more than 70 academic papers, and holds 484 patents.
Takashi Uehara
President Powertrain at Toyota Motor Corporation
Takashi Uehara is President of the Powertrain Company at Toyota Motor Corporation and a senior leader in powertrain technology and product strategy.
He began his career at Toyota in 1991 and has since led and supported development programs spanning motorsport engines, hybrid systems, and electrified powertrain systems, with a focus on advancing powertrain performance, efficiency, and technology integration. Appointed Chief Project Leader for the Powertrain System Development domain in 2022, he assumed his current role in July 2023 and drives Toyota’s multi-pathway strategy, including electrification and future energy collaboration initiatives.
Wil van der Aalst
Chief Scientist, Celonis
Professor Wil van der Aalst is Chief Scientist at Celonis and widely recognized as the founding father of the process mining discipline. The techniques he pioneered are now embedded in more than 50 commercial process intelligence tools and are used by many of the world’s leading companies.
His academic journey began with pioneering work at Eindhoven University of Technology, where he developed foundational concepts for process mining. Over the years, Prof. van der Aalst has played a central role in advancing research on process analytics, influencing various industries including manufacturing, healthcare, and finance. His contributions have significantly shaped the field of process intelligence.
R. Velusamy
President Automotive Business at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
R. Velusamy, is a transformational automotive leader with nearly three decades of experience in building future ready mobility businesses. He has played a pivotal role in redefining Mahindra’s product and technology strategy, spearheading the shift towards next generation platforms & electrification. As President of Automotive Business, he now leads the complete Auto P&L. driving growth, profitability & global Competitiveness. Joining Mahindra & Mahindra in 1996, Velusamy began his career in the powertrain division, where he led the development of the revolutionary MHawk engines, setting new industry standards for performance, efficiency, and durability. His leadership has played a key role in the development and launch of Mahindra’s most iconic vehicles, including the All-New Thar, XUV700, Scorpio-N, XUV3XO, Thar Roxx & XUV 7XO which have redefined their respective segments.
As Managing Director of Mahindra Electric Automobile Limited (MEAL), Velu spearheaded the development and launch of Mahindra’s electric-origin SUV portfolio, setting new benchmarks in the Indian electric vehicle space through XEV 9e, BE 6, and XEV 9S, BE6 Batman & Formula E Edition In addition, he holds multiple leadership roles across M&M Group companies, serving as Chairman of the Board at Mahindra Racing UK and as a Board Director at PF Holdings B.V. He also actively contributes to industry advancement through key leadership roles, serving as Chair of the SIAM Passenger Car CEO Council, President of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) Governing Council, a Member of the Governing Board of the Centre for Advanced Automotive Research (CAAR). Velusamy holds a B.Sc. from the University of Madras and a B.Tech in Automobile Engineering from Anna University, Chennai. He has further strengthened his leadership and strategic acumen through executive programs at Wharton Business School, Harvard University, and Michigan Ross School of Business.
Plenary Speakers 2025
Participants of the Opening Plenary Session
Nicolai Ardey, Executive Director, Volkswagen Group Innovation
Emilio Scervo, CTO and Member of the Board, Bugatti Rimac
Lutz Eckstein, President, VDI e.V.
Participants of the Start-Up Plenary Session -"Start-Ups in Mobility: Chances and Challenges"
Marcus Behrendt, Managing Partner, BMW i Ventures
Daniel Garnitz, CEO & Co-Founder, FAAREN
Lorenz Kopp, COS, tozero
Peter Mertens, Executive Director, Mertens VC
Participants of the Closing Plenary Discussion - "Sustainable Future in Industrial Applications"
Gerrit Marx, CEO, CNH Industrial
Michael Kuhn, Vice President Development Vehicles, Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeuge AG
Martin von Hoyningen-Huene, Member Executive Board, CLAAS Group
Plenary Speakers 2024
Opening Plenary Session 2024
Dr. Sabine Klauke, CTO, Airbus
Dr. Holger Klein, CEO, ZF Group
Shunichi Inamijima, Corporate Vice President, Nissan
Ruiping Wang, CEO, Aurobay
Participants of the closing plenary discussion on the topic
"The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Automotive Applications"
Stephan Durach, Senior Vice President in the Connected Company Development, BMW
Prof. Dr. Ralf G. Herrtwich, Senior Director Automotive Software, NVIDIA
Nikolai Ardey, Exceutive Director, VW Group Innovation
Plenary Speakers 2023
Opening Plenary Session 2023
Arnd Franz, CEO, MAHLE GmbH
Gürcan Karakas, CEO, TOGG
Atsushi Ogawa, COO, Honda Motor R&D
Dr. Frederik Zohm, CTO, MAN Truck & Bus SE
Participants of the closing plenary discussion on the topic
"Sustainable Transport under ESG Perspective" 2023
Matthias Jurytko, CEO, Cellcentric
Dr. Peter Laier, Member of the Board, ZF Group
Dr. Gerrit Marx, CEO, IVECO Group
Plenary Speakers 2022
Opening Plenary Session 2022
Hans Schep General Manager, Ford Pro, Europe
Kai-Uwe Wollenhaupt, President SVOLT Europe and Vice President SVOLT Energy Technology
Closing Plenary Session 2022
Axel Gern, Senior Vice President of Engineering und Managing Director of Torc Europe GmbH
Gerrit Marx, Chief Executive Officer of IVECO Group
Plenary Speakers 2021
Opening Plenary Session 2021
Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management and Board of Management Member for Product Lines at AUDI AG
Dr.-Ing. Stefan Hartung, Member of the Board of Management, Robert Bosch GmbH
Closing Plenary Session 2021
Prof. Dr. Ralf G. Herrtwich, Senior Director Automotive Software NVIDIA, Berlin
Dr. Byung-Ki Ahn, Senior Vice President der Electric Powertrain BU, Hyundai MOBIS, Korea