Wilfried Plum and Elmar Pohl manage the research institute
Dr. Wilfried Plum, Managing Director at OWI
20 May 2019 – The management of the OWI Oel-Waerme-Institut gGmbH in Aachen has restructured itself. In view of the dynamic development of alternative, climate-friendly fuels and the expansion of research activities into the mobility sector, OWI now has two joint managing directors, Dr. Wilfried Plum and Elmar Pohl. Dr. Plum will join the management of the non-profit research institute on 1 June 2019. Dr. Plum, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, will replace David Diarra, who is leaving the research institute at his own request on 30 June 2019 after many years of successful work, most recently as head of OWI. Wilfried Plum previously held various positions in the energy sector, including authorised signatory and managing director. At OWI, he will contribute his experience and know-how to the expansion of networks and the establishment of new research and business domains.
Wilfried Plum shares the management of OWI with Elmar Pohl, who has been with the company since 2011 and joined the management board at the beginning of January 2019. Mr. Pohl has supported the management in controlling and work organisation since 2017. In addition to his technical expertise in the areas of numerical modelling and optimisation, the graduate industrial engineer (Dipl. Wirt. Ing) also worked on studies on emission reduction and energy efficiency at OWI. Moreover, he managed several national and European fuel cell projects.
Elmar Pohl, Managing Director at OWI. Photo: OWI
With his departure from OWI, David Diarra wants to take on new professional challenges after 19 years with the company. During his time at the head of the research institute, he undertook the necessary strategic realignment of the main research areas and the necessary organizational changes. In cooperation with partners from science, research and industry, the focus of the Oel-Waerme-Institut today is on technically mature, low-emission and low-greenhouse gas solutions for tomorrow’s mobility and heat generation. The aim is to make liquid fuels based on fossil and renewable energies particularly efficient and safe to use.
