Christian Kolf

I've been with TÜVIT since October 2014. But even before that, since 2007, I worked at TÜV NORD, more precisely at TÜV NORD Mobilität. At the time, I was working in the field of electromobility. TÜV NORD recognised the importance of the topic early on, but unfortunately we were still too early as pioneers and electric cars didn't arrive as quickly as we had expected. That was one of the reasons why I decided to reorient myself and so I applied for an internal job advert at TÜVIT as an IT Security Evaluator and got the job.

Because I had the opportunity to reorient myself here: Starting as an IT security evaluator, new tasks were added from 2018 onwards, which keeps things exciting. You can simply think outside the box, get out of your own cocoon and look into new areas. For example, I did the Digital Expert training programme at the Group. This was a 6-week training programme in Hanover on various topics relating to digitalisation. Since then, I've also been in charge of the "Digitalisation and Innovation" department and have been dealing with completely different topics. I often work together with colleagues from the Group, from other business units, and also take care of internal projects relating to digitalisation and innovation.

As I said, I started out as an IT Security Evaluator. After further training, I also became a "Digital Expert" and since then have had a split position, i.e. 50% of my time is spent on innovation and digitalisation and 50% on operational projects. These include topics such as artificial intelligence, IT security or QKD/post-quantum cryptography. I also worked for TÜV AI LAB GmbH as part of a secondment and helped to set up the company.

I have a degree in electrical engineering and my tasks have constantly changed over the years. Currently, these include two major areas: When it comes to digitalisation, I work together with colleagues from the Group and with our software development team to optimise processes.

During the Covid era, for example, this involved supporting the introduction of Microsoft Teams and electronic signatures, and last year the introduction of TÜV NORD ChatGPT. We are currently planning the introduction of Microsoft Power Automate, which I am also involved in.

On the other hand, there are also the innovation projects for our AI services or the establishment of a QKD laboratory. I always have to coordinate with the project managers and also within the Group in various bodies and committees, such as the Group's Innovation Council.

When I don't have appointments on site, I'm mainly in my home office. I often have internal Group coordination meetings and workshops, which of course I also have to prepare for and follow up on. I have to be flexible and sometimes jump from one appointment to the next.

I currently have a lot of meetings in the area of AI, as a lot is happening both within the Group and in the various projects.

What I particularly like is the opportunity to think outside the box a little and work with other departments across the board and that you don't always do the same thing in a quiet little room, but always have to look around and find new solutions as part of a team.

I tend to work at a kind of generalist level, which doesn't go into great depth, but covers a very broad range of topics and projects.

Difficult to say. Everything has its own challenges. For example, the group-wide introduction of Microsoft Teams in the Covid situation or the introduction of digital signatures in our society were interesting. But the specific projects involving collaboration with external customers and organisations such as the BSI, safe.trAIn etc. also have their appeal. And of course the CC evaluations are also exciting.

Because you have to deal with very exciting technical challenges here. IT is everywhere, you get a very unique overview of how we live today from a testing perspective. In other words, as a TÜV inspector, you look at many products in many sectors. The slogan "We make the world safer" really does apply here and that's not wrong.

I have a small family that fulfils me. We do a lot together. I also like role-playing games, cycling and walking my dog.

Yes, most of the time it works very well because I can work from home. Business trips are manageable for me and then also an interesting and welcome change.