Berlin, 9 May 2023 - Dr Johannes Bussmann (54) is the new Chairman of the Executive Board of the TÜV Association in Berlin. The CEO of TÜV Süd AG was elected to preside the Association by the General Assembly today. He succeeds Prof Dr Axel Stepken. Bussmann takes over the chairmanship of the TÜV Association in challenging times. The war in Ukraine is entering its second year, the climate crisis is coming to a head ecologically and politically, and digitalisation is taking on a completely new dynamic with the AI revolution. "Sustainability and climate protection are dominant topics of our time. Politics and business must now move at full speed to preserve our livelihoods in the long term," said Bussmann after his election. "In doing so, we must succeed in securing the energy supply on the basis of innovative technologies." Overall, the German economy is on the right track in the sustainable transformation of its organisations and business models. TÜV companies have also taken a broad stance on the issue of sustainability. "As assessment organisations, we support the economy in investing in green technologies such as hydrogen or renewable energies, energy-efficient buildings, electromobility or sustainable products," said Bussmann. "With certified environmental management systems, companies can ensure their environmentally compatible actions and identify environment-related opportunities and risks at an early stage." In addition, independent audits help to ensure that legally prescribed environmental standards are met.
Another core topic of Johannes Bussmann's presidency is digitalisation with a focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). "Cyber attacks cause enormous damage to businesses, public institutions and citizens," said Bussmann. "We need stronger digital shields and more investment in cybersecurity." Additional legal requirements, for example for networked products, as well as compliance with norms and standards for corporate IT security, could make a decisive contribution to raising the level of protection.
Since the introduction of ChatGPT, it has become clear to a broad public what potential artificial intelligence has - and what risks are associated with its application in various areas. "Highly automated vehicles must be safe and medical diagnoses must be comprehensible," said Bussmann. In addition, automated decisions should not put anyone at a disadvantage. With the AI Act, a legislative project is underway in the EU to curb the risks of artificial intelligence. "With smart regulation, we create the trust so that artificial intelligence can also be used in safety-critical areas," said Bussmann. Suitable assessment procedures must now be developed for AI applications with a high risk. The TÜV Association accompanies the upcoming AI legislation with its "TÜV AI Lab".
The General Assembly thanked the outgoing Chairman Prof Dr Axel Stepken, who had been a member of the Executive Committee since 2007 and held the presidency several times. The long-standing Chairman of the Board of TÜV SÜD AG firmly anchored the TÜV Association in political Berlin and set new topics. In addition to mobility and the safety of products and systems, the topics of sustainability and digitalisation have since increasingly become the focus of the assessment organisations.
Dr Johannes Bussmann has been Chairman of the Board of TÜV SÜD AG since the beginning of the year. Bussmann studied aerospace engineering at RWTH Aachen University and earned his doctorate in combustion technology. His professional career began at ABB Mannheim before he moved to Lufthansa Technik as a development engineer. There he took on various senior management positions in Germany and Singapore before becoming a member of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Technik. He initially headed the Human Resources department, Engine & VIP Services and took over as Chairman of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Technik AG in April 2015.