Güntner Impact° Summit 2024

Claudia Bechstein

Moderator

Claudia Bechstein has been a live stage and on-camera moderator for many years. As an entrepreneur and investor, she leads conferences and panels on digitization, sustainability, the automotive industry, and renewable energy. Holding a master’s degree in business psychology from the FOM University of applied sciences for economics and management in Berlin, she also studied at the University of San Diego. Due to her extensive experience, Claudia Bechstein is recognized as one of the top business moderators in Germany. She moderates over 200 premium, online and exclusive events annually for renowned corporations, ministries and NGOs.

Cornelius Moeller

Head of Systems, Christof Fischer GmbH

Cornelius Moeller is an educated Refrigeration Systems Technician and holds a diploma in engineering (dipl.-ing.) in refrigeration systems technology. Before his current position as Manager System Technologies at Christof Fischer GmbH, he developed CO₂ and propane refrigeration systems and worked in international sales and applications for refrigeration systems.

Gernot Puntigam

Managing Director Europe, Güntner

Gernot Puntigam has been Managing Director Europe at Güntner since August 2022. Besides being responsible for sales and marketing, his other area of responsibility is global IT and the implementation of the company's digitalization strategy. Gernot Puntigam brings international experience from Asia, America and Europe, where he held various positions in the compressor and heating industry as well as for a component manufacturer of high performance engines.

Guido Herres

Vice President Solution Consulting, Infor

Guido Herres has been working in IT consulting for over 30 years. He is responsible for Infor's solution consulting in EMEA. Guido has extensive experience in system implementation, solution architecture and process management for the discrete industry. A very important topic here is also the use of future-oriented technologies. When Guido is not working for customers, he spends time traveling with his family, playing sports and trying to enjoy life to the fullest.

Herbert Schupfer

Head of Future Solutions, Güntner

Herbert Schupfer, a seasoned professional with a background in electrical engineering and automation technology and a master’s in business administration has over a decade of experience in refrigeration technology, strategic product management and R&D. For the past 8 years, he has been a key innovator at Güntner. As Head of the future solutions division, Herbert is dedicated to making technology tangible for customers and delivering exceptional solutions, embodying Güntner’s innovative strength.

Jens Greiner

Enterprise Technologist, Amazon AWS

Jens works as an enterprise technologist at Amazon Web Services. With over 30 years of experience in industry and in various management positions, he now supports executives in their digital transformation. Previously, as Head of Digital Solutions at SKF, he led digitalization initiatives including cloud, data science, industry 4.0, smart products and software-as-a-service. He changed the corporate culture and drove innovations forward for faster “CME-to-value” for customers.

Kim Gardø Christensen

Managing Director / Co-founder – Fenagy

Master’s degree in mechanical engineering at DTU in 1995 and bachelor’s in engineering business administration in 2003. General Manager at Danish technological institute for the refrigeration department from 2001. Founded Advansor in 2006 and stayed as CEO for Advansor until 2018.

Co-founder of Fenagy in 2020 – a leading manufacturer of industrial refrigeration and electrical heat pumps with natural refrigerants. The majority of Fenagy was acquired by Beijer Ref in 2021.

Marco Baumann

Managing Director, Jaeggi Hybridtechnologie AG

Marco Baumann is Managing Director of Jaeggi Hybridtechnologie AG, based in Switzerland. He gained his experience in cooling and refrigeration technology in several positions ranging from Technical Project Manager to internal sales and international sales activities. He has been with Jaeggi Hybridtechnologie AG as part of the Güntner group since 2011. Within the Güntner group, he is also responsible for Europe-wide service and customer service. After his vocational training as a Polymechanic (prototype construction), he studied mechanical engineering / process engineering (dipl. ing. fh) at the University of applied sciences northwestern Switzerland and completed his master's degree in energy and environmental technology (M.Sc. Engineering) in the field of combustion / gas turbine research. He is the father of two children and a passionate runner in his spare time.

Mark Acton

Non-Executive Director, EkkoSense

A chartered engineer and chartered it professional mark has been a specialist in the data center design, operations and technical management for more than 25 years, holding senior positions in global organizations. Now operating as a consultant and technical advisor supporting all aspects of the data center lifecycle including energy efficiency.

A regular public speaker and thought leader involved in multiple technical and advisory boards. Mark is involved in the development of international data center standards as well as being the technical editor and committee chair of the European commission code of conduct on data center energy efficiency since 2013.

Michael Freiherr

CTO & Managing Director Europe, Güntner

Michael Freiherr is a leading expert in refrigeration technology and has held a top position at Güntner for many years. Since 2008, he contributed significantly to the development and marketing of innovative products. Thanks to his expertise and innovative approach, he is responsible for the strategic direction of the company as Managing Director and global CTO. Under his leadership, Güntner has developed numerous technological innovations and sustainable solutions. Besides Güntner, Freiherr is also involved in trade associations and organizations on a voluntary basis and gives lectures on current topics in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tomas Smetana

CTO & Executive Board Member, ebm papst Group

Tomas Smetana studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Prague and completed his doctorate in this field at the Technical University in Chemnitz, Germany. Smetana began his professional career in 2001 as a team leader in research and development at Schaeffler in Herzogenaurach, a global automotive and industrial supplier. He held various management positions there for over 22 years, including Head of development for innovative transmission components, electric axle systems and vice president for chassis actuators. From 2016 to 2019, as CTO Asia Pacific based in Japan, he was responsible for building local R&D teams and competences in the corporate, automotive and industrial sectors. Tomas Smetana was then global CTO of the industrial division until 2021 at the Shanghai site, where he was responsible for expanding the product portfolio, technologies and expertise in areas such as digitalization and robotics. Most recently, as Senior Vice President, he was responsible for innovation at the Schaeffler group in Herzogenaurach.

Tomas Smetana is married and has 2 children. Born in the Czech Republic, he is a technology fan, is interested in art and history, is a keen endurance athlete and enjoys travelling.

Tom Groot

Country Manager Netherlands, Benelux, Güntner

Tom Groot is the country manager for the Netherlands and Belgium, bringing extensive expertise in refrigeration technologies and customer solutions. With a keen understanding of the unique needs and challenges in these regions, Tom has built strong relationships with clients and is known for his innovative approach to problem-solving.

Tor Blomqvist

Astro Agronomist – German Aerospace Center

Tor is an Astro Agronomist at the German Aerospace Center, specializing in innovative agricultural solutions for space exploration. As a leading expert in his field, he focuses on developing sustainable food production systems for long-term space missions and future colonization efforts. Blomquist's work is crucial for enabling human life in space by ensuring a continuous supply of food through closed-look systems.

Zachary Wernlund

Smart Solutions Manager, Güntner

Zachary Wernlund is the Smart Solutions Manager at Güntner, with a focus on integrating AI and Smart Controls into modern refrigeration systems. As an expert in leveraging technology to enhance efficiency, Zachary is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions that harness the power of AI to drive operational excellence.

Alessandro Moneta

Business Development Manager, Güntner

Alessandro Moneta holds a master’s degree in management engineering earned at “Politecnico di Milano” in 2005. Since then, he has covered different sales roles in leading heat exchanger manufacturing companies. In these years he has gained a deep knowledge in the European HVAC and refrigeration market. In 2019 he joined Güntner group as Business Development Manager and Key Accounts Manager. In accordance with the principles and values promoted by Güntner such as sustainability, decarbonization and innovation, in January 2023 he was appointed Business Development Manager for renewable energy systems, in which the heat pump application is currently the most relevant. Driving the industry towards a reliable and sustainable technology as its first choice. With Alessandro’s experience and Güntner´s engineering excellence, we are always a solution ahead.