Reorganizing the administration of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) was Michael Ganß' main task during his term of office as Vice President of KIT. Initially responsible for Business Affairs and Finance, he later was in charge of the expanded Finance, Human Resources and Infrastructure department. Ganß led the KIT to even greater administrative autonomy. For example, he managed KIT’s process of assuming the responsibility as a building principal and took the efficiency of the administrative structures to a new level. On July 31, 2024, Michael Ganß will leave KIT and retire.
“The combination of research, teaching, and transfer at KIT had a special appeal to me right from the start,” says Michael Ganß, looking back. “In recent years, we have succeeded in merging the university and large-scale research tasks, also in administrative terms, even more into a single KIT. Cutting-edge research requires an efficient administration, which is another reason why a highly cooperative relationship between science, administration, and infrastructure has always been important to me,” says Ganß. “I would like to thank you very much for the trusting cooperation and the confidence you have placed in me.”
“It takes a reliable hand that guides the administrative destiny – often acting in the background – to make top performance in research, teaching, and transfer possible. Michael Ganß' commitment to KIT was exemplary,” says Professor Oliver Kraft, Acting President of KIT, to recognize the merits of the outgoing Vice President. “He took on every task, regardless of its size, with the utmost professionalism. Focusing not only on the cause, but also on the people, he has promoted the advancement of KIT with calm and foresight. He often had to prove his staying power. The 2nd KIT Further Development Act contained many administrative innovations that he introduced in a sustainable manner. I hold Michael Ganß in high esteem, both professionally and personally, and as colleagues, we are reluctant to let him go. On behalf of the entire Executive Board, I would like to thank him for his great commitment to KIT and the trusting cooperation.”
“Michael Ganß has made a significant contribution to advancing KIT in administrative matters,” says Professor Michael Kaschke, Chairman of the KIT Supervisory Board. “He not only stands out for having conducted large and decisive projects such as KIT’s process of assuming the responsibility as a building principal with confidence and transparency, but he also scrutinized the operational business to challenge existing workflows and make processes more efficient. I have always found the cooperation with Michael Ganß to be extremely professional, productive, and also very pleasant on the personal level.”
“Living the Change”
For more than 35 years, Michael Ganß has worked in leading management positions of German scientific institutions. After holding positions at the German Aerospace Center and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, he was appointed Vice President of KIT in 2018. It did not take long before KIT once again prevailed in the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments with its concept “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association | Living the Change”. This motto characterized Ganß' time in office with the objective of further developing KIT in terms of administration and infrastructure. One driving force behind this were the changes initiated in conjunction with the 2nd KIT Further Development Act. These changes were aimed at optimizing the standardization of KIT in legal, personnel, and organizational matters. For example, Ganß managed KIT’s process of assuming the responsibility as a building principal and the implementation of the simplified building procedure – always in line with the KIT-wide construction plan. He also shaped the change in structural terms. By establishing clear responsibilities and effective communication formats, Ganß created the basis for an efficient and targeted administrative structure.
Personal details:
Michael Ganß, born in 1958 at Eschweiler in the district of Aachen, studied economics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and then mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. From 1989 to 2003, he held various positions at several sites of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), most recently as Managing Director at the Cologne-Porz and Bonn-Oberkassel sites and as Head of Technical Services at the DLR in Cologne. In 2003, Ganß moved to the Helmholtz Center Geesthacht, where he took over the commercial management. As Vice President of KIT since 2018, he was initially responsible for the areas of Business Affairs and Finance, and since January 1, 2023, for the expanded Finance, Human Resources and Infrastructure department.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.