German Chamber of Commerce in Korea elects Christoph Nowak of Dachser Korea as new president

The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry has elected Christoph Nowak, chief executive of Dachser Korea, as its new president, giving the chamber fresh momentum in bilateral economic cooperation.

The chamber held its 45th annual general meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul on Thursday, where it formed a new board of directors, it announced Monday.

Nowak brings more than 20 years of experience in logistics and supply chain management to the role. Before joining Dachser Korea, he held senior positions at 4flow and DB Schenker across Europe and Asia, and has served on the KGCCI board for the past two years, contributing to the expansion of industrial exchanges between the two countries.

Steffen Trabert, president of Körber Korea and senior vice president for Asia-Pacific sales, was named vice president. Trabert has built more than 20 years of experience in Asian markets, having previously served as president of Illig Korea and as a member of the Illig Group's executive committee.

Several new directors also joined the board at the meeting. Seo Jeong-wook, president of TÜV SÜD Korea, was appointed treasurer, while Lee Jin-ah of Bayer Korea, Peter Andersson of MAN Truck & Bus Korea, Lee Hee-hwan of Airbus Korea and Matthias Busse of Porsche Korea were named new directors.

Continuing board members include Ulf Alvinsson, vice president of Taurus Systems Korea; Jeong Ha-joong, president of Siemens Korea; Michael Hennig, president of Rickermann Korea; Till Herrmann, CFO of BMW Group Korea; Sascha Jovanovic, Asia-Pacific CFO of Webasto Korea; Jeon Il-seung, president of Wilo Pumps; Kang Dong-yoon, president of Aumovio Korea; Kim Woo-kyu, president of Merck Korea; Kim Young-mi, president of Henkel Korea; Marcello Rusuardi, president of Robert Bosch Korea; Leandro Tonidandel, country manager of Lufthansa Korea; and Marie Antonia von Schönburg, chief representative of the KGCCI.

The chamber's role is expected to grow as German companies increase investment and seek deeper cooperation in South Korea across future industries including semiconductors, eco-friendly mobility and biotech.

Park Hyun-nam, Korean co-president of the KGCCI and Korea head of Deutsche Bank Group, said it was "an honor to work with capable leaders representing diverse industries and a broad range of perspectives." He added that the chamber would work to establish itself as "a trusted advocate for its member companies and a reliable bridge connecting the business communities of Korea and Germany."