S. Stark
The 210 railway and track system manufacturers, whose interests are represented by the German Railway Industry Association (VDB), in which Schindler also has a seat and vote, employ 54,700 people. Sarah Stark is now taking over as the new CEO of the VDB. Ben Möbius is moving on to new challenges after eight years.
Möbius will relinquish his position as Managing Director of the association in the spring of next year, as stipulated in his contract. "After approximately eight intensive and exciting years at the VDB, it is time to dedicate myself to new substantive tasks and embark on new goals," he says. The holder of a doctorate in political science took over as Managing Director in 2015. He played a key role in shaping the VDB's development into an internationally positioned service provider, a leading climate industry association, and a think tank for providing sound, strategic advice to policymakers in the rail transport sector.
predecessor Möbius
Sarah Stark will assume his position on March 1, 2023. The mobility expert currently works at the German Transport Forum (DVF), serving as a member of the management board since 2021, and previously as head of European transport policy, security, and rail transport. From 2013, she held a leading position responsible for the DVF's positioning on European policy and railway technology. In 2017, digital rail issues and cybersecurity strategies in the mobility sector were added as further areas of focus. As a member of the management board, she represents members of the rail industry, operators, and consultants in the rail sector in various federal transport policy working groups. Her engineering studies in Berlin and Oxford laid the professional foundation, which she initially further developed in transport research at the Technical University of Berlin.
“For me, the rail industry is a future-oriented sector that draws its knowledge from tradition and, through its courage to transform, offers attractive solutions to our climate and transport policy challenges. (…) Its innovations enable us to remain capable of acting despite increasingly frequent crises and dwindling financial resources,” said Stark.
VDB President Andre Rodenbeck: “Against the backdrop of climate change, demographic change and an accelerating digitalization of industry and society, the pressure to pave the way for this change is growing.”
