Dr Ben Möbius will step down as Managing Director of the German Railway Industry Association (VDB) at the end of his contract in spring of next year. “After around eight intense and exciting years at VDB, it is time to accept new tasks and embark on new challenges”, Möbius said. The doctor of political science accepted the position of Managing Director in 2015. He played a decisive role in shaping the development of VDB into a service provider of international standing, a pre-eminent climate industry association and a think tank for sound, strategic advice to policymakers. DVB communication was also professionalised under his leadership.

The association has experienced vigorous growth in recent years. “I would like to extend my deep gratitude to the members of VDB, the many partners outside VDB and the VDB team for our outstanding cooperation”, Möbius said. The VDB Presiding Board thanks Möbius for his tireless, highly successful and pioneering work. “We thank Dr Ben Möbius for the conviction with which he has resolutely advocated the interests of the industry and for the discussions, ideas and visions with which he has shaped VDB over the last eight years. The VDB Presiding Board wishes him the best of success in the next phase of his professional life”, said VDB President Andre Rodenbeck at the VDB General Assembly.

The VDB Management will be younger and more female next year. Sarah Stark will become VDB Managing Director on 1 March 2023. The experienced mobility expert has worked at Deutsches Verkehrsforum e.V. (DVF) to date, since 2021 as member of the Management Board, previously as Head of European Transport Policy, Security and Rail Transport. She was in charge of DVF’s positions on European policy and railway technology from 2013 onwards and managed internal and public events. Key issues relating to digital railways and cyber security strategies in the mobility sector were added to her purview in 2017. As a member of the Management, she will represent the interests of railway industry members, operators and consultants in the rail sector in various transport policy working groups at federal level. Her engineering studies in Berlin and Oxford laid the technical foundations, which she initially extended in transport research at TU Berlin.

“I firmly believe in a bright future for the railway industry. It draws its knowledge from strong traditions and, through bold transformation, delivers attractive solutions to challenges for our climate and transport policy. Its innovations enable us to put our front foot forward, despite the increasingly frequent crises and scarcity of financial resources. We require the right framework and incentives to respond with the necessary innovations. An avowed friend of networks, I am convinced that working together is the best way to shape change. I look forward to contributing my expertise in transport policy and my passion for rail to improve mobility in Germany as Managing Director of VDB”, said Stark.