New CTO at DEHN - Thomas Schöpf takes over from Peter Zahlmann

DEHN Neumarkt, Germany – Alongside the Managing Directors Dr. Philipp Dehn (CEO), Helmut Pusch (CSO) and Christian Köstler (COO), Dr. Thomas J. Schöpf can now be found as the new CTO at the helm of DEHN, a worldwide leading company for lightning and surge protection. Dr. Thomas Schöpf succeeds Dr. Peter Zahlmann, who retires after 26 years of service with DEHN.

Dr. Thomas J. Schöpf was born in Schwaz, Austria in 1967. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Technology Vienna, where he received his doctoral degree (Dr. techn.) in 1994. From 1991 through 1994 he was with the Institute of Switching Devices and High Voltage Technology. His professional career started as development engineer with SIEMENS, Berlin, where he later was appointed Manager of Material Engineering. After stints with DELPHI and EATON – 13 years of which in the USA – Dr. Thomas J. Schöpf most recently held the position Director of Research & Development at BELDEN and was the Chairman of BELDEN’s Global Technology Council. In these functions, he was responsible for research and development for industrial connectivity worldwide as well as the corporate strategy on the topics Industrie 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things.

Since Sept. 1st, 2017 he has been with DEHN as the successor of CTO Dr. Peter Zahlmann, who will embark on his well-deserved retirement starting July 1st, 2018. Thanks to his passion for technology, Zahlmann has made significant contributions to the success of DEHN and has driven the development of lightning protection components and surge protective devices, first as Head of Development, and since 2004 as Managing Director Technology.

“In times of increasing demands for digital products, new business models, changing customer requirements, new technologies, faster development cycles, new development methods – the CTO is more crucial for the future success of the company than ever before. Dr. Thomas J. Schöpf’s extensive experience and his roots in technical research and development make him the perfect man for the job. With him and his team we will expand our market position and pursue our strategic goals. I sincerely thank Dr. Peter Zahlmann in the name of the executive board and my family for everything he has achieved and the many years of excellent collaboration. He has made an essential contribution to the success of DEHN”, said Dr. Philipp Dehn, CEO and Managing Partner of DEHN.

Starting July 1st, 2018 Dr. Thomas J. Schöpf will take the position of Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and he will be responsible for the strategic research and development, innovation management, and product management.  He will further share responsibilities in leading the digital transformation of the company.

left: Dr. Thomas J. Schöpf (CTO); right: Dr. Philipp Dehn (CEO)