Formel D Management

Marcel Blinde
CEO

Marcel Blinde has joined Formel D Group as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in March 2024.

With over 25 years in the testing, inspection and certification (TIC) sector, specializing in energy and process industries, Marcel Blinde brings strategic leadership honed as a former Board Member at IRISNDT. He has also held pivotal roles in various leading companies within the TIC sector, driving growth and innovation in each endeavor.

Skilled in sales, business development, and analytics, in his previous experiences, Marcel elevated revenue, profitability, and market share while prioritizing safety and quality, dedicated to delivering innovative solutions and fostering industry growth.

Marcel Blinde is a Chemical Engineer and holds an MBA from NIMBAS, Bradford – Graduate School of Management, blending technical expertise with business sense.

Gian Mario Deligios
CFO

Gian Mario Deligios has been Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the Formel D Group since January 2020. As a finance manager, he brings deep experience in management and leadership positions within the automotive industry sector.

Before joining Formel D, he was Group Chief Financial Officer at Witte Automotive between 2015 to 2019, and for three prior years, Gian Mario held the positions of Group Chief Financial Officer and Group Managing Director for the BOA Group.

His financial management skill-set also includes ten years as Finance Director for a business unit at JCI Metals, with further leadership roles as Group Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director CRH Group for Johnson Controls Inc. and C. Rob. Hammerstein (CRH) Group.

Johannes Wallraf
Vice President Germany

Johannes Wallraf’s career at Formel D began in late 2009, working in warranty management in Munich. In 2012, he became Project Manager for the Munich operations, and he took over responsibilities as Technical Director in 2014. Over his career at Formel D, Johannes has also supported his progress with distance education in business administration.

Beginning his career with training as an automotive mechatronics specialist, Johannes completed a master’s degree in automotive electrics, and the automotive sector has always been part of his career. In Denmark, he was responsible for motorhomes sales and conversion within the Scandinavian market, and in Germany, he worked for Volvo Trucks.

Johannes’ professional experience and expertise within the automotive industry and the Group led to his appointment as Vice President for Germany at Formel D in January 2022.

Michael Sagan
Vice President Americas

Michael Sagan started his career at Formel D in December 2019 as Technical Director in Greenville, SC, and in 2020, he assumed responsibility as Director of Operations for US and Canada.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Michael worked in multiple operations and engineering positions for major Tier 1 suppliers. With 25 years’ international experience in the automotive industry and great leadership skills, he successfully led his team to launch the Group’s first QCC project in the US during the pandemic. Throughout this challenging period, Michael led with great operational expertise to successfully position Formel D for future growth.

Martin Pekár
Vice President Central & Eastern Europe

Martin Pekár joined Formel D in 2013 as Sales Director and latterly took over the role as Operations Director. Becoming Vice President CEE in August 2017, Martin now heads the national subsidiaries of the Formel D Group in Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Russia, Romania and Turkey.

After completing his studies at the Machine Engineering High School in 2001, Martin held various positions for different automotive OEMs and a power-engineering service provider. Starting as Quality Inspector, he was promoted from Supervisor, Coordinator, Project Manager and Branch Director, and completed this period as Managing Director. In 2011, he joined the MBA program at UNYP University in Prague.

Thomas Revillard
Vice President Western Europe & Africa

Thomas Revillard joined Formel D as Vice President Western Europe & Africa in September 2021.

Thomas has over 28 years of international experience in managerial positions within the automotive and aviation industries, as well as the public sector. He has worked in a wide range of countries in central Europe, Africa, the Near East and the Far East, and he has extensive knowledge in the testing, inspection and certification (TIC) sector.

Before joining Formel D, Thomas was Senior Vice President at a leading provider of trade-facilitation solutions in Dubai. Priorly, he was responsible for the development of vehicle-inspection services, artificial intelligence (AI) software and e-platform applications.

Wei Zhang
Vice President China

Wei Zhang was appointed Vice President China at the beginning of 2020. He began his career at Formel D as a Project Manager in 2012, before enjoying promotion to Technical Director in 2014 and then Director in 2017.

Before joining Formel D, Wei Zhang gained experience in the automotive industry, working for Denso Tianjin as a Quality Engineer, and as a Quality Manager for an EV-powertrain system producer. He successfully completed his Bachelor studies in Electrical Engineering and Automation, as well as IT and Technology. Wei also holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Management.

Günter May
Global Director of Quality

Günter May joined Formel D as Technical Director for IT in 1993 at the company’s formation. Since 1994, he has led worldwide quality as Global Director of Quality, and his experience includes the delivery of programs for Quality (ISO 9001), Health and Safety (ISO 45001), Environment (ISO 14001), and Information Security (TISAX).

Between 1998 and 2020, in parallel Günter was Data-Privacy Officer for the company, and for eight years he served as Chief Compliance Officer across the Formel D Group’s operations between 2013 and 2021.

In his 30 years at Formel D, Günter has launched and supported numerous programs across the global automotive sector. During this time he contributed his knowledge of quality in vehicle manufacturing and service to projects such as the Europe-wide “Retrofit” project and the ‘Ramp Up’ program in Germany and China.

Christoph Hunold
Global HR Director

Christoph Hunold joined Formel D in 2016 as a Lawyer, and he became Head of Human Resources after three successful years. Following, he became Director of Human Resources for the Germany Region, before taking over the responsibility of Global Head of Human Resources for the Group.

Prior to Formel D, Christoph Hunold gained experience as a lawyer in various companies, and his legal studies specialized in labor and workforce law. In this time, he developed and added the practice of business coaching to his career, with specialty and qualifications in HR management and leadership.

Kathleen Sauer
Global IT Director

Kathleen Sauer joined Formel D in 2021 as IT Manager of Global Enterprise Applications, and she became Formel D Global Information Technology Director after two successful years.

With a career spanning over two decades, Kathleen has honed her expertise in project management and the seamless execution of both global and local IT initiatives. Her journey in this field began over 20 years ago, and since 2016, she has taken the helm of IT teams across diverse industries, including chemical, IT business services, and consulting.