Harald Kirsch can be described as dynamic, entrepreneurial business strategist with over 30 years of professional experience in organizational and business development. His professional career, to date, has mainly been defined by the topics - Securing the Future Viability of Companies, Developing New Business Models, Digital Transformation, IIoT, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Automation of Enterprise respectively Production Processes, Product Management for innovative SW Solutions and Services, Portfolio Management, Strategy Consulting as well as Business Transformation, Change Management, Employee Development and Coaching

His current area of responsibility includes in particular the topics:
- Establishment and further development of a Modern Organizational Structure
- Implementation of Agile Methods
- Management of the Automation and Industrial IT division
- Continuous further development of the company's digital strategy
- Structuring and advancing the Industrie 4.0/ IIoT platform strategy
- Optimization, digitalization and further development of manufacturing and production processes

The Pop in your Job:

Creating a future-oriented, start-up-like organisation in a traditional industrial environment is both a special task and an opportunity for me. My biggest motivator is to get young people to create something extraordinary; to inspire them to work together in a way that makes each individual count with their own unique talents and perspectives.

My passion is to work with the young generation on the future prospects of digitalisation and to support sustainable action. I think that is the highest good for shaping the future.

ALD Vacuum Technologies is a subsidiary of AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. and the world's leading manufacturer of vacuum technology systems in the field of metallurgy and heat treatment. The company's focus areas currently also include solar and battery technology, future and high-tech topics. In this structure, Harald Kirsch is responsible for the digitalisation strategy and future viability in the area of plant manufacturing and maintenance. The company currently has to deal with the two poles of old plants and new plant production. Where new plants already have the necessary digital components and interfaces, the older plants are still tied to special knowledge, possibly even requiring a retrofit. Regardless of age and condition, however, there is a service offer to the customer that must be covered by Field Service. At ALD Vacuum Technologies, the after-sales department operates the field service for the customer. Here, the field service organisation benefits from the integration platform ALD Expert, a self-contained, autonomous, self-optimising system that includes a variety of intelligent solutions. ALD Expert not only makes it possible to supply the field service with information by means of digital twins or intelligent assistants for maintenance technicians. Rather, the platform can be used as a control tool to optimise maintenance cycles, to better design detailed scheduling and ultimately to create added value for the company and the customer.