Dr Martin Webhofer (46) is the new spokesman for the Management Board of TÜV SÜD Rail GmbH. The TÜV SÜD company is among the leading independent providers of testing, inspection and certification services for the rail industry. Dr Webhofer succeeds Klaus Bosch, who is retiring after building up TÜV SÜD Rail to its present eminent status. He runs the company together with the second managing director Jan de Leon.
Dr Martin Webhofer will now continue the success story of TÜV SÜD Rail GmbH. The mechanical engineering graduate completed a doctorate at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) before joining TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH in 2005 as a specialist in light rail, metro and cableway systems. As member of the management of the Light Rail and Metro System Certification Body, he oversaw a host of innovative international projects including the Rubin driverless metro system in Nuremberg and the automatic people-mover (APM) systems in Perugia and Bologna.
Dr Webhofer took over as Head of the Wind Energy department at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service in 2010. In this position, he spearheaded the development of TÜV SÜD into a world-leading testing, inspection and certification (TIC) provider for the onshore and offshore wind energy sector. In addition, Dr Webhofer has held the position of Manager of the newly created Green Energy & Sustainability Business Unit at TÜV SÜD’s Industrie Service division since 2020. In this role he has developed a global strategy for targeted expansion of sustainability services and already helped bring various services to market-readiness.
Dr Webhofer will use his technical knowledge and management experience to continue TÜV SÜD Rail GmbH’s success story together with his fellow Managing Director Jan de Leon and his team of experienced and motivated experts. TÜV SÜD Rail has developed under the guidance of Klaus Bosch into a global leading independent provider of testing, inspection and certification services to the rail industry over the past 20 years.
“The rail industry is packed with exciting innovations and dynamic developments,” says Dr Martin Webhofer. Important drivers are digitalisation and automation and the associated change towards even more efficient and climate-neutral rail transport, both in passenger and freight transport. “We will accompany our customers on their way into the future,” emphasises the new Managing Director. “We are prepared for new challenges such as the cybersecurity of railway systems and ensure that innovative systems also meet the high expectations for safety and reliability in the railway sector.” Among others, TÜV SÜD is providing support for tests of a digital automatic coupling (DAC) for European rail freight transport at the TÜV SÜD Rail test centre in Görlitz, and developed the world’s first guideline for hyperloop systems. In addition, the experts are already involved globally in the approval processes of hydrogen and battery-powered rail vehicles, which enable climate-neutral rail transport on non-electrified lines.
