The Lineup

Find out everything you want to know about our speakers

Mukul Bhanwar
Research Associate
RWTH Aachen University

Vita

Research Associate at the Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM), RWTH Aachen University, specializing in battery safety engineering, testing, and simulation for automotive applications. My work focuses on battery cell abuse testing, thermal runaway analysis, safety validation, and simulation-driven assessment of battery behavior under critical operating and failure conditions. With more than four years of experience in zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle development, I have contributed to the design and validation of battery-electric and fuel-cell powertrain systems for 40-ton trucks. My expertise includes multi-physics CAE development using CFD/CHT, FEM, and system simulation for thermal management, structural durability, lightweight design, and battery system integration. My current research interests focus on safe and sustainable battery systems, including thermoplastic lightweight battery pack concepts, structural integration, and advanced validation methodologies to improve energy density, efficiency, and reliability in next-generation electric vehicles.

Albert Burgstaller
Principal Solution Engineering
FinDreams Battery Co. Ltd. (Business unit for batteries within the BYD Group)

Vita

Albert Burgstaller is a seasoned professional in the field of battery technology and e-mobility, with over 15 years of experience in high-voltage battery development, testing, and integration. He has led international teams across the full product lifecycle—from requirements engineering and supplier management to validation, cost optimization, and innovation strategy. His expertise spans electric vehicle battery systems, component testing, charging infrastructure, and cross-functional leadership. With a strong focus on delivering competitive, future-ready energy solutions, he brings deep technical insight and industry perspective to the stage.

Thomas Carl
Head of Operations Transportation Technologies
Intertek Deutschland GmbH

Vita

Thomas Carl studied mechanical engineering at FH Kempten with a focus on design and graduated in 1999 as certified engineer (Dipl.-Ing. FH). For the next 13 years he worked as a development engineer specialising in the design of custom and packaging machinery, as well as plant construction. He joined Intertek Deutschland GmbH in 2012 as a project engineer in battery testing and certification. In 2015 he became the technical lead of Intertek’s Electromobility Laboratory before again being promoted to Head of Operations in 2018 and assuming business management responsibilities. He currently oversees battery, charging infrastructure, and environmental testing, as well as coordinates global market access.

Roberto Diesel
Vice President Energy Systems & Drivetrain
EDAG Engineering GmbH

Vita

Roberto Diesel is Vice President Energy Systems & Drivetrain at EDAG Group, where he leads global electrification programs across e-motors, power electronics, and energy systems with full P&L responsibility. With over 20 years of international experience across Europe, Asia, and the US, he has held senior leadership roles in OEM, startup, and engineering environments. His career includes platform development at Opel/GM and serving as CTO at Sono Motors. Roberto specializes in system-level e-powertrain engineering, AI-driven development, and scaling high-performing global teams to deliver sustainable, profitable mobility solutions.

Basit Jimoh
Battery Abuse Team Lead
Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt

Vita

Basit Asipita Jimoh holds an M.Sc. in Electric Vehicle Propulsion and Control and currently works as a battery safety researcher at CARISSMA, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, Germany. His work focuses on battery safety evaluation through abuse testing and degradation analysis. Through experimental research and collaborative European projects, he contributes to the development of safer, more reliable, and more sustainable battery systems for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage applications. His current work helps translate battery safety research into practical testing, diagnostics, and demonstration solutions.

Elizaveta Kessler
Business Development Manager
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Vita

Elizaveta Kessler holds a degree in Chemistry from the MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster, where her research focused on silicon-based battery technologies. She subsequently spent four years in the consulting at P3 group, supporting and leading projects across the entire battery value chain for electric vehicles. Since joining Henkel in 2023, she has been working as a Business Development Manager for Power Storage and E-Mobility applications. In her current role, she is responsible for Henkel's European battery materials portfolio and supports strategic customer projects with automotive OEMs. Her areas of expertise include innovative battery technologies, including Debonding-on-Demand solutions and advanced battery safety materials.

Dr. Frank Kindermann
Head of Battery System Development Europe
NIO GmbH

Vita

Dr. Frank Kindermann is leading NIO’s Battery System development in Europe out of Munich, Germany. He and his team in Europe cover a range of activities from software development to technology scouting. While the main focus is on battery monitoring and function development for the battery management system (on-board as well as in the cloud), he and his team also address hardware topics from cell analysis to recycling. Frank has a background in electrical engineering from Technical University of Munich, where he spent his entire academic career. Prior to joining NIO, Frank was working in cell development and application at a German premium OEM. His focus on batteries started more than 14 years ago.

Dr. Patrick Kolm
Lead Battery Mechanics
Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH

Vita

Patrick Kolm studied mechanical engineering with a specialization in engine and powertrain technology, vehicle technology and safety at the TU Graz from 2010  to 2016. In 2014 he joined AVL List GmbH as a student employee and later as a development engineer in the field of powertrain development. Since 2018 he has been researcher in the field of battery crash safety with VIRTUAL VEHICLE Research GmbH. As part of his research, he earned his doctorate at Graz University of Technology on the topic: “Simulation-based short-circuit prediction of Li-ion cells due to mechanical crash loads”. As Key Topic Leader "Battery mechanics" he currently manages national and international research projects in the field of virtual development of battery electric vehicles with a focus on battery safety. His research experience covers battery finite element modeling, battery crash analyses, optimization, mechanical abuse tests, battery component characterization and post-mortem analyses of batteries.

Jan Krewinkel
Occupant Protection Thermal Propagation
Mercedes-Benz AG

Vita

Jan Krewinkel studied psychology at the University of Tübingen. The entry into the automotive industry took place at Daimler AG in 2012 with the focus on the development of safety-relevant control and display concepts for various vehicle model series. Since 2019, he has been working in the area of passive safety with the aim of further developing the topic of occupant and environmental protection in the event of thermal runaway and thermal propagation events. The focus of the team is on a holistic view of the vehicle and the possible effect of corresponding events.

Dr.-Ing. Matthias Kühn
GDV e. V. Unfallforschung der Versicherer

Vita

Matthias Kühn studied automotive engineering at the Technical University of Berlin. In 2004 he received his PhD with a thesis on pedestrian protection. Since 2005 he has worked for UDV (German Insurers Accident Research). Currently is he is head of vehicle safety at UDV. He is autor of the book "Fußgängerschutz" (Pedestrian Protection), published in 2006 and co-author of the "Handbuch Fahrerassistenzsysteme" (Handbook driver assistance systems), published in 2015. Since 2011 he has been lecturer at the department of automotive engineering of the Technical University of Berlin.

Dr. Natalia Lebedeva
European Commission, Joint Research Centre

Vita

Natalia Lebedeva holds a PhD degree in chemistry from the Technical University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Thereafter she joined Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands to do research on fuel cells and led projects on corrosion and corrosion protection at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. For the last 10 years she works at the batteries group of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, where she currently leads a research team focusing on battery safety.

Solenne Lefèvre
Battery Solutions Program Manager
DEKRA Digital & Product Solutions

Vita

Solenne Lefèvre is a Battery Solutions Program Manager at DEKRA with extensive experience in vehicle homologation, automotive regulations, battery technologies, and technical project management. Combining a strong engineering and data management background, she supports the development, testing, certification, and compliance of battery systems, helping advance safe and sustainable e-mobility solutions.

Zhihan Liu
Power Battery Testing Engineer
CMVR - China Merchants Testing Vehicle Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.

Vita

Liu Zhihan works in power battery safety testing and evaluation at CMVR, a professional vehicle testing and certification organization in China. Her work covers safety performance testing, standard implementation, test data analysis, and technical support for electric vehicle power battery systems. Based on hands-on laboratory experience, she focuses on how battery safety standards are applied in real testing scenarios.

Dr. Christiane Mair
Lead Researcher Battery Safety
Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH

Vita

After the Masters study of technical physics at Graz University of Technology Christiane Mair started working as a researcher at the VIRTUAL VEHICLE in Austria on battery safety. Her focus is set on vent gas analysis and early battery failure detection. Christiane finished her PhD thesis 2021. The aim of her PhD work was to improve battery safety by gaining insight in the failing behavior of Li-ion cells and examining concepts for early battery failure detection. Since 2022 Christiane leads the battery safety team at VIRTUAL VEHICLE.

Jianqi Peng
Electric Vehicle Safety Testing Engineer
CMVR - China Merchants Testing Vehicle Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.

Vita

Peng Jianqi is currently working at CMVR, a professional vehicle testing and certification organization in China, engaged in electric vehicle safety certification and conductive charging system testing. His work mainly includes standards analysis, safety testing of high-voltage systems in electric vehicles, functional verification of conductive charging, and technical support. Based on extensive laboratory testing experience, he focuses on electrical safety testing of electric vehicles and compliance verification with national standards.

Andrea Ribezzo
Head of Battery System Engineering
BeonD S.r.l., a CSI S.p.A. company

Vita

Andrea Ribezzo graduated in Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino and is currently Head of Battery System Engineering and Project Lead at BeonD , a CSI company specialized in advanced engineering services and testing solutions. His professional experience focuses on the development of battery systems for electric and hybrid mobility applications, covering design, testing, validation and production activities. In his role, he coordinates multidisciplinary engineering teams and is actively involved in battery safety topics, including thermal behavior analysis, failure prevention strategies and thermal runaway mitigation. His work supports the development of safer and more reliable energy storage systems for next-generation mobility applications.

Benjamin Schaufelberger
Research Fellow in Computational Physics
Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI

Vita

Benjamin Schaufelberger has a master in Computational Mechanics of Materials and Structures from the University of Stuttgart. After graduation, he became a research fellow at Fraunhofer EMI. His professional expertise lies in the field of modeling and simulation of engineering structures under highly dynamic loading like blast, impact and crash. Within the last years, developing and improving models in the context of battery safety has become his major field of research.

Caspar Spinnen
Spokesperson CATL Germany
Contemporary Amperex Technology AG

Vita

Caspar Spinnen is the spokesperson for CATL in Germany, where he leads corporate communications and media relations. He is responsible for communicating the company's activities in one of Europe's most dynamic technology sectors, with a focus on battery innovation, electrification, and the energy transition. With a background in strategic communications, he works at the intersection of industry, innovation, and public discourse, helping to communicate the role of advanced battery technologies in the future of sustainable mobility.

Catharina von Appen
Sales Manager Battery Test Center
DEKRA Automobil GmbH

Vita

After studying general engineering at the TUHH Hamburg, Ms. von Appen holds several positions in the development of electrode films and prototype cells in Itzehoe. Ms. von Appen then held various positions in the field of stationary storage and managed various projects. Since April 2024, Ms. von Appen has been part of the support functions at the DEKRA Automobile Test Center and is responsible for technical sales for the new Battery Test Center.

Program and speaker lineup subject to changes.