Speakers

Tilman H. Bender is the founder of the largest German-American executive search firm. TH Bender & Partners, Inc. specializes in recruiting executives for American subsidiaries of German-speaking European companies. Together with his team of approximately 20 full-time employees, Tilman Bender has placed more than 600 executives who have built and/or expanded the business of German-speaking companies in the United States and Canada. The focus has been on the selection and placement of interculturally compatible executives with an affinity for medium-sized companies. Tilman Bender & Team has particular expertise in identifying entrepreneurial executives who understand the business culture of German SMEs, but who can also communicate the requirements of American customers.

Mr. Bender also represents Lense & Lumen Advisory Group, a global network of mid-market staffing firms with 250 employees in 15 core export markets of the German economy, in North America.

Mr. Bender has lived permanently in the U.S. and Canada for more than 30 years. He is a sought-after speaker for seminars and panel discussions on the topic of establishing and managing US subsidiaries as well as competence analyses of established management teams.

In addition, his articles can be found in the trade press such as Export Manager, Markt und Mittelstand and Handelsblatt; a recent article on the topic of personnel benchmarking and corporate success of foreign subsidiaries was published in the “Exportjahrbuch Aussenwirtschaft” of the MWM-Verlag.

Specialization:
SME focus
Hundreds of placements for DACH companies in America
Focus is implementation of business strategies
Startups and expansion focus
Design of sustainable remuneration systems

Frank Breitenfeldt is the head of the Transaction Services team at Rödl & Partner USA and has successfully managed over 700 due diligence projects in various industries during his career. These include the automotive, manufacturing, distribution, logistics and professional services industries.

With his specialization in domestic and cross-border transactions, he particularly supports medium-sized companies from the DACH region that are planning a transaction in the United States.

In his role, Mr. Breitenfeldt assists clients with proposed business sales and acquisitions throughout the entire transaction process. His team provides comprehensive due diligence services that identify potential risks and opportunities to ensure informed decisions. Services offered include financial due diligence, tax due diligence and transaction structuring.

Mr. Breitenfeldt is licensed as a tax advisor and auditor in Germany as well as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States (Georgia).

Specialization:
Transaction Services
Acquisition support (due diligence)
Deal structuring and negotiations
Carve-out finance and sell-side advice
Financial forecasting and modeling

Licenses:
Auditor (Germany)
Tax advisor (Germany)
CPA (Georgia, USA)

Nicolai Decker joined Rödl & Partner’s New York office in 2013. Over the past decade, he has been head of the Business Process Outsourcing Department and the Individual Tax Practice. At the same time, he has continuously acted as audit manager for annual audits in the American Northeast. Traditionally, Mr. Decker’s client base has consisted of U.S. subsidiaries of German mid-sized companies and other market-entry companies.

Mr. Decker is a regular speaker at seminars on the topics of US tax law and market entry into the USA, with a focus on the tax structuring of US investments.

In addition, Mr. Decker is the author of the USA section of the Beck’schen Steuerberaterhandbuch. As a board member of the German-American Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia, Mr. Decker is deeply rooted in the German business community in the USA.

Mr. Decker holds a degree in business law, is a German tax advisor and is licensed as a US tax advisor and US auditor in New York and Pennsylvania.

Specialization:
US Taxation
Annual audit
Business process outsourcing
Inbound investment consulting
International employee assignments

Licenses:
Tax consultant (Germany)
Certified Public Accountant (New York, Pennsylvania)

Christophe van Gool is an accomplished insurance professional with a wealth of experience spanning several countries in Europe. Originally from Belgium, he has dedicated his entire career to the insurance industry.

Christophe’s linguistic abilities allow him to seamlessly navigate international business. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Antwerp, a Master’s Degree in International Management from the University of Brussels, and a post-graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Louvain.

Before relocating to the U.S., Christophe made significant contributions in the Lloyd’s of London insurance market, where he handled complex global insurance programs. With 30 years of experience, he excels in placing and managing international business risks.

Christophe is a sought-after speaker on panels across Europe, where he shares insights on U.S. product liability and other insurance-related topics. His expertise bridges continents and informs industry discussions.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Christophe received the prestigious International Power Broker Award in 2021. This accolade underscores his impact and influence within the insurance community.

Currently serving as the Director of Global Solutions at EPIC, Christophe advises foreign-owned companies operating in the U.S. His focus primarily centers on the DACH countries (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). As part of his commitment to client relationships, he travels to Germany every 6 weeks to meet with key stakeholders.

Christophe’s passion for risk management and dedication to client success make him a valuable asset in the insurance landscape. Connect with him to explore tailored solutions for your insurance needs.

Dr. Dagmar Möller-Gosoge is a tax advisor and has been with PwC since May 2023 in the Middle Market – Corporate & International Tax department. Previously, she was a tax partner in a so-called Next Ten company for more than 17 years. Dr. Möller-Gosoge primarily advises German owner-managed companies on all complex issues of corporate tax law, on transformations and reorganizations, on company acquisitions and sales as well as on tax planning for business succession. The focus of her advice is on cross-border issues, particularly in the German-American context.

Dr. Möller-Gosoge is a regular speaker at specialist events and a long-standing commentator in renowned specialist commentaries: § 6 AStG (so-called exit tax) in Haase, Außensteuergesetz Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen (AStG/DBA), 4th ed. 2024; §§ 3 to 8 UmwStG in Dürrschmidt/Mückl/Weggenmann, Beck’scher Online-Kommentar Umwandlungsteuergesetz, 2024; Art. 7 Exkurs: Personengesellschaften in: Gosch/Kroppen/Grotherr/Kraft, DBA-Kommentar. Double Taxation Treaties, 2024.

She works and lives with her family in Munich.

Lutz Martin Keppeler has been working for Heuking Kühl Lüer Wojtek in Cologne in the IT / IP sector since 2014. Previously, he worked for an international law firm. He advises clients on all questions regarding IT and data protection law and is engaged in those fields both extrajudicially and forensically. Mr. Keppeler works particularly intensively on the interface of technology and law, resulting in specialized fields, such as IT security law, open source licensing law, and data protection law.

He studied law in Cologne and La Coruña and did his doctorate in Cologne. In spring 2017, Dr. Keppeler earned the title Specialist in Information Technology Law. Since the winter semester 2018/19 he has a lectureship for data protection law at the TH Cologne.

Lutz Martin Keppeler is the author of numerous papers, entries in handbooks, and commentaries related to the above-mentioned areas of law. He is a speaker at national and international conferences, seminars and webinars. He is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), the German Association for Law and Informatics e. V. (DGRI) and member of the European Legal Network of FSFE / FTF.

Markus Klinger has been a partner in the law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek since 2018. In particular, he is responsible for IT and data protection at the Stuttgart office. He has many years of consulting experience in all areas of German and international IT and data protection law with a further focus on IT and technology-related transactions. Another focus of his practice is the Internet, media and competition law as well as intellectual property law.

Markus Klinger studied law in Constance and Lausanne (Switzerland) and received his doctorate from the University of Mannheim. He completed his legal clerkship in Freiburg.

After being admitted to the bar in 1999, he worked for several law firms in Stuttgart in the fields of IT and IP. His clients include national and international medium-sized and larger companies.

Markus Klinger is the author of articles in specialist books and magazines as well as a speaker for numerous in-house training courses and conferences. He is a member of the German Society for Law and Informatics and the International Bar Association.

Hans-Michael Kraus has been with Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP since 1983 and leads the firm’s International Practice Group. Mr. Kraus specializes in cross-border corporate investments and represents a variety of primarily German, mid-sized companies or their subsidiaries in the United States.

The focus of his industrial representations includes machinery and plant engineering, pharmaceuticals and medical products, food, and automotive and robotics technology. Mr. Kraus is a member of the supervisory boards of various German-American companies.

Mr. Kraus is known as a speaker at professional seminars on topics such as corporate acquisitions, the establishment of sales companies, U.S. trade and corporate law, and government incentive programs for industrial settlements.

Mr. Kraus is admitted to practice law both in the Federal Republic of Germany and in the USA (Georgia).

Moritz Masberg was born in 1985 in Düsseldorf and, as a lawyer with admissions in Germany and New York, primarily serves German-speaking clients in the United States.

After his German legal education in Trier, Berlin, and Frankfurt am Main, Mr. Masberg was responsible for the care of German clients at the law firm Luther in their offices in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Subsequently, he practiced at the Düsseldorf business law firm Dr. Eikelau & Kollegen in corporate and competition law.

Since 2015, Mr. Masberg has lived in New York, where he graduated cum laude with a Master of Laws from Fordham Law School. He then passed the bar exam there and has been a member of the New York Bar Association since 2017.

In the United States, he initially worked alongside his studies at the international IP law firm Ladas & Parry LLP in their New York office. He then briefly engaged in projects for the law firm Wiggin & Dana LLP in the business sector and for the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal.

From 2016 to 2024, he worked for the law firm H. Roske & Associates LLP in Manhattan, which merged with Smith, Gambrell, and Russell on April 1, 2024.

Mr. Masberg is an active member of the German-American Lawyers’ Association and the Fordham Art Law Association, among others. Since 2018, he has also been the U.S. partner of REACT, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating trademark infringements worldwide. He is a regular guest speaker on German-American topics at the German American Trade Association and various business associations.

He is married and has a daughter.

Immanuel Otterski, born in Freiburg, Germany, has been living in the USA since 2005. As Vice President of Business Development at gatc LP, he advises and supports international companies on U.S. market entry and expansion.

He studied business management and marketing in Osnabrück, in addition to his time at Ann Arbor, Michigan. Immanuel has been lecturing in Europe for several years in various forums focusing on U.S. market entry, sales development and marketing.
Prior to joining gatc LP in 2009, he worked for various consulting and market research firms focusing on branding, brand equity and brand tracking.

In Atlanta, GA, Immanuel Otterski is an active member of the German American Chamber of Commerce, Swedish American Chamber of Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Center, as well as on the Board of Directors of Conexx, the American Israeli Business Connector.

Christoph Richter holds a degree in economics and is a senior manager in the field of tax transfer pricing at PwC in Nuremberg.
Mr. Richter has more than 10 years of experience in advising multinational corporations in the field of transfer pricing.

Relevant experience
Christoph Richter supports leading medium-sized and globally active companies in the tax-optimized structuring of cross-border value-added processes, the development and implementation of transfer pricing systems, the implementation of national and international documentation projects and annual audits. In addition, Mr. Richter has extensive experience in defending transfer pricing systems in tax audits and in conducting (preliminary) mutual agreement procedures.

Special skills
Planning, implementation and documentation of transfer pricing systems for companies in various industries; international project management; analysis of value chains in connection with the implementation of restructuring projects

Selected mandates
Mr. Richter advises a broad spectrum of companies in various industries. These range from start-ups to leading medium-sized and globally active companies.

Kim-André Vives has been working for SÜDVERS GMBH Assekuranzmakler since October 2003. He started as an assistant to the managing partner, Mr. Florian Karle.

Mr. Vives graduated with a degree in business administration (BA) specializing in insurance and a Bachelor of Arts at the Mannheim University of Cooperative Education.

Since 2012, Mr. Vives has been an authorized signatory and member of the management in the Freiburg branch responsible for corporate support and acquisition of international SME and industrial clients.

Since 2017, Mr. Vives has been head of the Freiburg branch (company headquarters).

Mr. Vives is also an active member of the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC). Since January 1, 2021, Kim-André Vives has held the new position of Head of International for SÜDVERS International has been active.

Since January 1, 2022, Kim-André Vives has been Chair of the International Working Group of CIAB (American Broker Network).

Since July 1, 2022, Kim-André Vives has been appointed Managing Director.

Kim-André Vives has been a member of the WBN Business Development and Marketing Council since January 1, 2024.

Mr. Vives was born in Freiburg in 1979 and lives there today with his wife and two sons.

Frederik Wiemer has been a partner of the law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek in Hamburg/Brussels since 2010. He has many years of consulting experience in all areas of German, European and international antitrust and data protection law. One focus of his activities is on compliance consulting, i.e. the design of compliance systems and compliance programs as well as the defense in administrative fine and administrative proceedings before the authorities.

He studied law (Dr. iur. utr.) and economics (Dipl.Volksw.) in Heidelberg and Strasbourg and received his doctorate from the Heidelberg Research Training Group as a scholarship holder of the German Research Foundation. He spent his legal clerkship in Cologne, Speyer and New York. After being admitted to the bar in 2000, he worked for major international law firms in Düsseldorf, London and Brussels. His clients include domestic and foreign listed and medium-sized companies as well as associations.

Frederik Wiemer is the author of various articles and a speaker at national and international conferences and seminars. He is a member of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht, the International and American Bar Association and the DICO Institute for Compliance.