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Sputnik Engineering (SolarMax) expands Board of Management


Andreas Mader is the new Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Thomas Staubli is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the company.

Biel, Switzerland, November 7th 2013: As part of the new strategic direction, the Swiss inverter manufacturer Sputnik Engineering (SolarMax) expanded its Board of Management in September by creating the new positions of Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). By doing so, the company will be able to react to changes in the market more quickly and with more flexibility in the future. The position of CTO is held by Andreas Mader, who took on leadership of the research and development (R&D) department in 2009. Thomas Staubli, the new COO, has been working at Sputnik Engineering since 2011, when he began as Head of Supply Chain Management (SCM). The creation of these two new executive positions reflects the importance which the company places on the areas of R&D and Operations.

Developing innovative products and tracking down technologies which have a promising future are crucial for the continued success of Sputnik Engineering. As CTO, Andreas Mader leads the entire area for new and further development for SolarMax products, as well as life cycle management. The new COO, Thomas Staubli, leads the areas of SCM, production and services (after sales and repairs). One of his aims is to optimize service and repair processes and to offer SolarMax customers a quick, uncomplicated, high-quality service whenever they need it.

“Facing the increased international competition, it is incredibly important to offer competitive products and services, particularly in times when political and financial circumstances mean that the market is difficult and demand varies greatly. In addition to a high technical standard and product quality, we are also focusing on optimizing manufacturing costs,” says Christoph von Bergen, CEO of Sputnik Engineering AG (SolarMax). “In order to guarantee this and to equip SolarMax to face future challenges, we have decided to make use of the many years of experience and know-how which our two colleagues Andreas Mader and Thomas Staubli possess. With them as part of our Board of Management, we will be able to adapt quickly to the most varied market conditions and are therefore well prepared for the future.”

The Board of Management at Sputnik Engineering is now made up of: Christoph von Bergen (CEO), Dr. Hans-Thomas Fritzsche (CSO), Dirk Hofmann (CFO), Andreas Mader (CTO) and Thomas Staubli (COO).

About SolarMax
Sputnik Engineering AG, a Swiss company, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of grid-connected solar inverters. Under the name SolarMax the company develops, produces and sells inverters, and has done for more than 20 years – from photovoltaic plants on single-family homes whose kilowatt output is modest, to the solar power plants whose output is measured in megawatts. The inverter is a key component of the solar plant, transforming the generated direct current into grid-compliant alternating current. 20 years of experience is not only reflected in the Swiss quality, highest efficiency, reliability, and durability of the SolarMax product range; but also in the way the company offers its customers excellent international support in the field of after sales, comprehensive warranty services, and intelligent solutions for system monitoring.