XFEL: Thomas Feurer starts as new Chairman of the Management Board
Thomas Feurer starts as new Chairman of the Management Board
Prof. Thomas Feurer, Copyright: private
Physicist Prof Thomas Feurer has assumed the role of the new Chairman of the European XFEL Management Board on 1 January. Hailing from the University of Bern, Feurer was nominated in June 2023 by the European XFEL Council, the supervisory body of the international research organisation, as the successor to Prof. Robert Feidenhans'l. The Danish physicist Feidenhans'l had held the position since January 2017 and will continue as an advisor until his retirement in July 2024.
Feurer's research areas in Bern included laser physics, ultrafast spectroscopy and the development of instruments for research on X-ray lasers such as the European XFEL. He previously worked as a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for several years and studied physics at the Universities of Würzburg and Jena.
European XFEL Council Chairman Prof Federico Boscherini said: “During the past six months Thomas has already been involved in the development of the 2030 Strategy process and has contributed with important insights. I am sure that his commitment and strategic decisions will further strengthen the leading role of European XFEL in X-ray research, and I look forward to working with him in the coming years.”
Prof. Robert Feidenhans'l, Copyright: European XFEL
On behalf of the European XFEL Council, Boscherini warmly thanked Robert Feidenhans'l for his extraordinary contribution to European XFEL. "As one of my predecessors as Chairman of the Council, Robert was a key figure in the planning and construction of the facility. Later, as Chairman of the Management Board, he successfully guided the facility through the first years of user operation and set the course for the future with the development of the Strategy 2030. We wish him all the best for this new chapter in his life," said Boscherini.
The European XFEL Management Board consists of two Managing Directors, Prof Thomas Feurer and Dr Nicole Elleuche, as well as the Scientific Directors Prof Serguei Molodtsov, Dr Sakura Pascarelli and Dr Thomas Tschentscher.
