On May 19, 2022, the senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft elected three executive vice presidents to the new executive units of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Prof. Axel Müller-Groeling, currently director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology ISIT and acting director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS, was elected to the Research Infrastructures and Digital Transformation executive unit. The Human Resources, Corporate Culture and Legal Affairs executive unit will be headed by Elisabeth Ewen, previously director of Human Resources and Corporate Culture at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Dr. Sandra Krey will be responsible for Finances and Controlling. She is joining us from MAN Truck & Bus SE, where she was most recently senior vice president of Accounting & Financial Processes. The executive vice presidents of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will take office as of the next possible date, subject to successful contract negotiations with the Fraunhofer senate and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
By a resolution of the Fraunhofer senate, the executive board structure of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft was changed at the turn of the year. It now comprises five executive units in order to enhance the expertise bundled in the executive units and directorates, to increase synergies and excellence — both internally and externally — and to reach a broader and more diverse positioning for the executive board.
Prof. Axel Müller-Groeling — Research Infrastructures and Digital Transformation
Prof. Axel Müller-Groeling studied physics at the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn and at the Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel before obtaining his PhD, and later his habilitation, at the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics. After gaining business experience, including at McKinsey, Centrosolar Group AG and Trumpf, Prof. Müller-Groeling joined Fraunhofer in 2016 and took over as director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology ISIT. In 2020, he was also appointed professor of the Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel and in 2021, he became acting director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS.
Elisabeth Ewen — Human Resources, Corporate Culture and Legal Affairs
Elisabeth Ewen studied law at the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn and completed her legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf. At the same time, she studied at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer. After holding positions at the German Aerospace Center and GMD — Forschungszentrum Informationstechnik GmbH, Ewen joined the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in 2001 as deputy head of the Birlinghoven HR department in Sankt Augustin. Since 2009, she has been first head of division, then director of Human Resources at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, where she has been responsible for all strategic HR functions, including labor law issues.
Dr. Sandra Krey — Finances and Controlling
Dr. Sandra Krey studied business administration and earned her doctorate at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Following assignments at KPMG Bayerische Treuhandgesellschaft AG and Süddeutscher Verlag GmbH, she joined MAN Truck & Bus AG in 2002 and MAN SE in 2006. During her years at MAN, she held various management positions in accounting and controlling. Since 2013, she has been responsible for accounting and financial processes at MAN Truck & Bus SE as senior vice president.
Excellent services and extensive experience
“With Ms. Ewen, Dr. Krey and Prof. Müller-Groeling, we have been able to attract outstanding leaders for the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. They will address the major challenges of digital transformation, HR and recruitment excellence, and efficient, sustainable project and financial controlling with great drive and entrepreneurial thinking,” explained Fraunhofer President Prof. Reimund Neugebauer. “I would like to expressly thank the senate for the complex and highly professional recruitment, and I look forward to working with the executive board in the future.”
This article was first published on 20 May by Fraunhofer.
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