Hans Christoph Atzpodien
Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsindustrie e.V. (BDSV) since August 1, 2017. Prior to this role, he held various executive positions within thyssenkrupp AG from 2001, culminating in his tenure as CEO of the Business Area Industrial Solutions, which generated approximately 6 billion euros in revenue. Dr. Atzpodien's involvement with the defense industry began when he assumed the CEO position at thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in early 2007, a role he held until the end of 2016, concurrently serving as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. He also maintained ties with Atlas Elektronik GmbH in Bremen during this period. In 2009, he co-founded BDSV and served on its board until 2016, including a term as President from 2013 to 2014. Educated in law at the University of Bonn, where he also earned his doctorate, Dr. Atzpodien began his career as a legal advisor at Otto Wolff AG in Cologne. His career path continued at Thyssen Industrie AG in Essen, where he oversaw operations related to the Transrapid magnetic levitation train, negotiating its first commercial application in Shanghai.
