Annual kick-off event of the Copper Association 2024
The Copper Association team met for two days at the end of January to discuss the strategy and goals for 2024. A key objective of the kick-off meeting was to clarify the role of the Copper Association in a national and international context and to prepare the vision and positioning for the coming years.
Key questions were discussed intensively at the Copper Association's 2024 annual kick-off event in Ulm: What makes the Copper Association special? What services are needed and provided nationally and internationally? What expectations and wishes do the member companies have? There was sufficient reason for this, as the Copper Association has gained additional members and tasks through the integration of the Gesamtverband Messing Sanitär. The discussion was moderated and accompanied by Rolf Werner, Chairman of the Board of the Copper Association. As an essential foundation of the copper world, the association considers it its task to bundle knowledge about copper, its alloys and the technical application of these materials and to use this expertise to answer questions from manufacturers, users and authorities. The team emphasized the importance of innovation and foresight in order to meet the challenges of the coming years in good time.
Furthermore, the team was reorganized due to the change in the management structure and responsibilities were adjusted accordingly: In November 2023, Dr. Klaus Ockenfeld and Markus Killer took over the management of the copper association's business from Michael Sander, resulting in a strong dual leadership. Dr. Klaus Ockenfeld, who has dedicated himself to the Environment, Health, Drinking Water and Regulatory Affairs department since 2005, has taken over the management of the association's "technical-scientific services" division. Markus Killer, who has been Commercial Director at the Copper Association for around three years, is responsible for the "Finance and Administration" department. This measure is intended to increase the efficiency and performance of the association and make optimum use of the existing potential. The strong dual leadership reflects the tasks of the Copper Association: on the one hand, the Copper Association continues to focus strongly on scientific and technical issues and works with a broad network of partners from research, industry and universities. On the other hand, the administrative tasks of the Copper Association's management have been significantly expanded by taking over the management of the Quality Association for Copper Tubes and the OECAM (Organization of European Copper Alloy Manufacturers).