Ines Ploss Elected Deputy Chair – Two New Members Welcomed
Dates and NewsPersonnel Change in ZEW Supervisory Board
On 27 March 2025, the Supervisory Board of ZEW Mannheim elected Dr. Ines Ploss as its new Deputy Chair. She succeeds Dr. Ralf Krieger, who stepped down from the board on 31 December 2024 after a long-standing membership in the committee. Additionally, Verena Amann, Personnel Director at MVV Energie AG, and Professor Thomas Fetzer, Rector of the University of Mannheim were welcomed as new members of the ZEW Supervisory Board.
Ines Ploss holds a doctorate in biochemistry and, since October 2024, has been Managing Director Aggregates at Heidelberg Materials AG. Previously, she was head of global purchasing at HeidelbergCement. She has been a member of the ZEW Supervisory Board since the end of 2022.
“Dr. Ploss has already supported ZEW as a Supervisory Board member for some time. Her professional background and her knowledge of the corporate landscape in the metropolitan region and far beyond offer us valuable perspectives and insights. We look forward to continuing and strengthening our cooperation with Dr. Ploss as she assumes the role of Deputy Chair,” said ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach, PhD.
Verena Amann joined the Supervisory Board on 1 January 2025. She has served as Personnel Director at MVV Energie AG since August 2019 and succeeds Dr. Ralf Krieger on the board. Following his appointment as President of the University of Mannheim, Professor Thomas Fetzer took over from Professor Thomas Puhl on 1 October 2024. Since 2012, he has held the Chair of Public Law, Regulatory Law and Tax Law. From October 2021 until he took office as president, he was Vice-President for Strategic Planning, Internalisation and Equal Opportunity.
“With Ms. Amann, the ZEW board gains an experienced leader from one of Germany’s leading energy suppliers – based in Mannheim. Her entrepreneurial expertise and in-depth knowledge of human resource management will provide valuable input for strengthening the connection between research and practice,” said Claudia von Schuttenbach, Managing Director of ZEW, in welcoming the new member.
“Professor Fetzer brings valuable expertise from his many years of activity in the President’s Office and has been closely connected with ZEW through the research networks MaCCI and MannheimTaxation. The University of Mannheim is one of ZEW’s most important partner institutions and deepening our partnership opens up many opportunities for both sides,” von Schuttenbach added.
Members of the ZEW Supervisory Board (as at 27 March 2025)
- Verena Amann (Personnel Director, MVV Energie AG)
- Dr. Elga Bartsch (Head of Economic Policy Department, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection)
- Heiko Engling (Ministerial Director, Ministry of Finance of Baden-Württemberg)
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Fetzer (President of the University of Mannheim)
- Dr. Natalia Jaekel (Ministerial Director, State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg)
- Michael Kleiner (Ministerial Director, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg)
- Prof. Dr. Ingrid Ott (Chair of Economic Policy, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
- Dr. Ines Ploss (Deputy Chair, Managing Director Aggregates, Heidelberg Materials AG)
- Dr. Hans J. Reiter (Chair of the Supervisory Board; Ministerial Director and Head of Office, Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg)
- Dr. Albrecht Schütte (MdL Baden-Württemberg)
- Prof. Dr. Peter Winker (Professor of Statistics and Econometrics, University of Giessen)
