Conference Committee
The Congress Advisory Board supports FEMWORX with conceptual and content-related input.
Dr. Barbara Schwarze
Angela Josephs M.A.
Angela Josephs joined the industry straight after completing her studies. And this despite the fact that she is not a technical specialist, but a Germanist and political scientist. She has been working for a large family-owned electrical engineering and automation company for 35 years. For a long time she was responsible for corporate communications, and for the last three years she has been a representative in political Berlin.
Her time on the advisory board of FEMWORX is as old as the congress itself; she has been involved in all phases from small to two-day events. Always in tandem with Professor Barbara Schwarze.
Gabriele A. Hantschel
Friederike Kämpfe
Dr. Kamila Klug
"Empowerment is about making people believe in themselves." - Oprah Winfrey
I never imagined where life would take me. I come from a really very small village in the Czech Republic. Growing up in a working-class family that valued hard work and embraced new challenges, I learned the importance of perseverance and resilience. My childhood in the countryside taught me the values of the land, and I am grateful for those experiences.
I pursued my studies with the unwavering support of my family, always mindful of their efforts and sacrifices. I worked tirelessly to achieve my goals, earning engineering, master's, and doctoral degrees before embarking on my professional path. As a perfectionist, I often doubted whether I knew enough or could meet my own expectations. Today, I would advise my younger self to be kinder to herself and treat herself like her best friend, in the spirit of Oprah Winfrey's wisdom.
Receiving the Engineer Woman Award in 2022 was a deeply unexpected honor which made me truly realize and celebrate my achievements. This recognition served as a catalyst for understanding the potential impact of my actions and engagements. It underscored the responsibility tied to visibility and the importance of leading by example for the new generation at the beginning of their journeys or supporting each other as seasoned professionals.
So, why did I choose engineering? Because I believed it would provide diverse opportunities and the flexibility to shape my path in the future. And that's exactly what happened. Today, I have the privilege of serving as a trusted advisor for various industries, with a particular affinity for the automotive sector, where I began my career. My wish is to see more women pursuing STEM professions, bringing their unique perspectives to drive innovation.
I am thrilled and humbled to join the FEMWORX Advisory Board to support initiatives that empower women in STEM and drive pivotal change. FEMWORX provides a powerful platform to share experiences, build new connections, and unleash potential to embrace new challenges. I believe true change can only happen when diversity and inclusion are on everyone’s agenda across business, industry, academia, and politics. FEMWORX unites all stakeholders for impactful dialogue and collaborative progress.
Angelique Mesch
"There is enough for all of us to shine."
Angelique pursued a career in engineering, working hands-on, whether on offshore facilities, laying pipelines, or building big machinery.
Today she devotes her time to a more sustainable future by focusing on the green hydrogen economy.
She understood early on that anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself and filter out the noise.
In 2022, she was nominated as a finalist for the Women Power in Engineering Award.
This moment was pivotal for her because it showed her that her voice was making a difference regardless of how big or small the impact. This was the start of her work in the STEM community outside of her corporate environment.
Today, she enriches the advisory board with her innovative and forward-thinking approach.
We are happy to have her as part of the team.
Christina von Rüden
Dr. rer. nat. Kathrin Rüschenschmidt
Do what you enjoy
When I decided to study physics, the job prospects weren't so good. But I thought to myself, I enjoy physics and I'm good at what I enjoy and if I'm good, I'm sure I'll find a job later. And that's exactly what happened. I found a job and I enjoy what I have done and am doing. I have passed through many different and exciting stages along the way. During my diploma thesis and my doctorate, I delved very deeply into physical topics. I then developed power semiconductors and gained my first management experience as a project manager. I worked a lot on technology and product development processes as well as problem-solving methods. And finally, I held various management positions, mostly in the area of product development. What has always been very important to me is to develop myself as a person and my skills. And no matter what the task at hand, it's better to do it together. Achieving and celebrating successes together is part of my motivation. As a woman in a very male-dominated environment, I have met many wonderful men, learned from them and celebrated successes with them. Nevertheless, the exchange with women is something special and different. 2018 was my first time at WomenPower (FEMWORX since 2024) and my very first impression was diverse and colorful. On my way to the venue, I walked through a few exhibition halls where the HANNOVER MESSE was taking place. And from dark suits with light shirts, I entered a colorful world and this first impression was also reflected in the program. And that's the wonderful thing, we are colorful, diverse, successful, open and happy about every new face. And I'm looking forward to FEMWOX 2024, because I do what I enjoy!
Nicole Maria Schmutte
Empowerment, networking and making women in IT and technology visible - these are my impulses for actively participating in the FEMWORX advisory board since 2012.
I'm a political editor and presenter, I was the head of the Tagesschau news program for many years and worked almost exclusively with men for ten years as a project manager in the Innovation and Strategy department. I know what it's like to be underrepresented as a woman and as a female manager in everyday working life. That is why, in my current position as Head of Equality and Diversity at NDR, it is important to me to develop measures for more equal opportunities and to focus my work on self-realization, especially for women. In the age of AI, it is important to me to include women in the development of ethical, responsible and strategic guidelines for AI tools and to always take the female perspective into account. As an advisory board member of FEMWORX and jury member of the award, I particularly enjoy getting to know smart and innovative women from the tech sector, discussing the latest developments with female engineers, networking and asking questions. I also enjoy doing this at FEMWORX as a moderator of panel discussions or insights with women who have something to say. Year after year, it is a great enrichment to be involved in the content planning and implementation of FEMWORX as an advisory board member.
Franziska Šeimys
Dr. Franziska Šeimys is an advisor on educational policy at VDMA, the voice of the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry. She is passionate about encouraging more women to choose a technical profession. At the same time, she believes in the importance of fostering a mindset change within the companies. In her role as an advisor, she oversees workshops on attracting and retaining female talent for engineering companies and coordinates the campaign #enSHEneer to show more female engineers as role models.
Franziska has a PhD in American literature and loves working in an interdisciplinary environment. She strongly believes that diversity fosters innovation and better results. She is delighted about the opportunity to work on the FEMWORX advisory board!
Gerlinde Sturm
Prof. em. Dr.-Ing. Burghilde Wieneke-Toutaoui
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Burghilde Wieneke-Toutaoui studied mechanical engineering production technology at the TU Berlin and completed her doctorate on process optimization in manufacturing systems. Until her retirement, she was a professor in this field as well as Vice President and President at universities of applied sciences.
She has long been involved with the topic of female engineers in Germany and worldwide. In the VDI (Association of German Engineers), she is co-chair of the "Women in Engineering" network, which is responsible for the successful VDI-WoMentorING program, among other things.
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