Starting on 1 June 2014, Ulrich Hermani lends his support to Staufen AG as a new member of the Advisory Board and Senior Advisor for mechanical and plant engineering. He is a highly competent and experienced representative of this industry: for 20 years, he was successfully at the helm of mechanical and plant engineering in Baden-Württemberg as Managing Director of the VDMA [German Engineering Association]. ‘With Ulrich Hermani, we have managed to attract a very committed and highly respected professional as a new member of the Advisory Board,’ explains Martin Haas, member of the Staufen Executive Board. ‘He is regarded as the leading expert on the mechanical engineering industry in Germany. The Staufen AG Executive Board is looking forward to working with him on the further strategic development of this important sector within the Staufen Group.’ With degrees in economics and law, Hermani started his professional career in economic research and politics. Then he moved to the business sector, working for global leaders such as Stihl and Trumpf and others. In 1994, he took over as managing director of the VDMA regional association in Baden-Württemberg, thus representing the interests of the mechanical engineering industry with approx. 300,000 employees. In 2014, the now 66-year old is taking on new challenges: ‘I am looking forward to bringing my expertise to the Staufen AG Advisory Board. The consultancy with its headquarters in Köngen near Stuttgart is one of the leading consultancies for SME companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector in Germany.’