Meet our team
Our management team combines deep technical expertise with business spirit. Many of us have worked at world-leading research institutes for several years before taking responsibility at RI, enabling us to engage confidently in in-depth technical discussions with even the most demanding customers.
Managing Director
Dr. Michael Pekeler
Michael studied physics at the University of Hamburg and earned his PhD with work on superconducting RF. He then spent three years as a postdoc at DESY within the international TELSA test facility collaboration.
In 1999, he joined ACCEL Instruments as a project manager. Ten years later, as a director of RI, he became responsible for all superconducting RF and fusion activities. Since 2018, he has also led the building up of our semiconductor supply chain production.
In 2022, Michael became Managing Director of RI and now leads the company together with Christian Piel.
Managing Director
Dr. Christian Piel
Christian joined our predecessor company ACCEL in 2000 after completing his studies in accelerator physics at the Technical University of Dortmund.
Today, together with his colleague Michael Pekeler, he leads RI as Managing Director.
Head of the Technical Division
Stefan Bauer
Stefan studied Surface Engineering at the Fachhochschule Aalen and then worked at CERN for three years as a surface engineer. In 1998, he joined ACCEL as a project engineer.
Since 2002, he has led the Surface Department and, from 2005, also took on responsibility for the assembly group (normal and cleanroom). In 2009, he became Head of the Manufacturing Division at RI.
In 2020, Stefan was appointed Director (Head of the Technical Division).
Head of the Finance Division
Wolfgang Heckmann
Wolfgang studied Business Administration at the University of Cologne before he joined the MAN Group where he held various positions in finance and commercial management in the industrial plant projects division in Germany and for four years in Brazil.
In 2013, he joined RI and since then has been responsible for the finance and commercial contract departments including HR and IT.
Fellow Science & Technology
Dr. Christoph Quitmann
Christoph joined RI in 2019. After earning his PhD in physics at RWTH Aachen in 1993, he worked at several research institutes utilizing particle accelerators. Prior to joining RI, he served as a professor of X-ray microscopy at Lund University and was director of the MAX IV Laboratory in Sweden, a fourth-generation synchrotron light source.
At RI, Christoph draws on his extensive and diverse experience in physics and scientific instrumentation, along with a broad international network, to help explore new business opportunities. In addition to contributing to special accelerator projects, he supports internal and external communication, leads our sustainability efforts, and coordinates initiatives in artificial intelligence. He also supervises Bachelor and Master students interested in doing their thesis work for a physics degree in industry.
Head of Business Section Semicon Equipment
Dr. Uwe Bau
Uwe received his PhD in thermodynamics from RWTH Aachen University in 2017 and worked as a group leader and post-doc at Helmholtz Forschungszentrum Jülich where he focused on advanced simulations of energy systems.
After his academic career, Uwe worked for McKinsey and Company in the fields of digitization, energy and business development. In 2021, he joined RI, taking responsibility for RI’s semicon equipment business.
In addition, Uwe contributes to the ongoing improvement of RI’s business processes to ensure efficiency and scalability.
Head of Business Section Photon Instrumentation / EUV Systems
Dr. Andreas Biermanns-Föth
Andreas received his PhD in physics from the University of Siegen, where he worked on the characterization of semiconductor nanostructures.
During his scientific career, he developed synchrotron-based nano-focusing techniques and innovative coherent diffraction methods.
Since joining RI as project manager in 2014, he has focused on developing custom-tailored EUV metrology tools for the semiconductor supply chain.
Head of Business Section Normal Conducting RF, Accelerator and Pulsed Systems
Dr. Benjamin Bromberger
Benjamin joined RI in 2012 to complete his PhD in accelerator physics at the Humboldt University Berlin.
Since 2014, he has worked as a lead scientist and project manager for different accelerator component and turn-key systems projects.
After taking over leadership of the business section in 2023, Benjamin has focused on normal conducting accelerator initiatives and business development at RI.
Site Manager Dortmund
Johannes Hottenbacher
After earning his diploma in electrical engineering, Johannes joined RI in 2005.
He has since worked as a project manager on various accelerator projects, ranging from single-cell cavities to full turn-key accelerator systems.
In 2024, Johannes assumed responsibility for RI’s Dortmund site, home to our pulsed power business.
Head of Business Section Superconducting RF Cavites & Couplers, Vacuum
Dr. Alexander Navitski
Alexander received his PhD in Experimental Physics from the Bergische University of Wuppertal. He then worked for several years as a research associate at DESY in Hamburg, where he contributed to the manufacturing, treatment, and testing of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities for European XFEL. In 2016, he joined RI as a project manager. Since 2021, he has led the Business Section for Superconducting RF Cavities & Couplers, Vacuum. In 2024, he additionally assumed responsibility for the Business Sections Fusion / Energy Equipment and Special Manufacturing Projects.
Head of the Production Planning Section
Birgit Rosin
Birgit joined RI in 2015 after completing her master's degree in mechanical engineering with a focus on production engineering at RWTH Aachen University and began her career in the field of superconducting accelerators.
After working as a project engineer for superconducting prototype cavities and then for SRF modules in her first few years, she took over as group manager for manufacturing engineering in 2020.
Since 2025, she has been head of the Production Planning section, which includes manufacturing engineering as well as warehousing & logistics, production planning, and technical purchasing.
Head of Section SemiCon Equipment Production
Alexander Tselnik
Alexander completed his master's degree in industrial engineering at the University of Siegen in 2019. After graduating, he began his professional career at RI as a project engineer in the semiconductor equipment project and helped build up this business.
Since mid-2025, Alexander has been managing the series production of modules for semiconductor equipment.
Head of the Production Section
Yannic Wischet
Yannic joined RI in 2011 for his diploma thesis at FH Aachen. After completing his studies, he became part of the superconducting RF (SRF) modules team as a project engineer. In 2015, he took on the opportunity to join the manufacturing department, where he led mechanical manufacturing engineering.
Today, Yannic serves as the head of manufacturing, and together with Stefan Bauer, he is in charge of establishing the new manufacturing sites in Obereschbach.
