Leadership award.

Expertise, vision, information management, success, ehtical conduct, human competence and diversity: Ayla Busch had convinced the jury in all these categories and therefore received the German Leadership Award 2022.

Lars Wagner, COO at MTU Aero Engines AG, presents Ayla Busch with the award.

Source: Andreas Schwarz

“Ayla Busch is a leader with a special, with a unique style, based on appreciation, a sense of family, communication and, above all, diversity – in the fullest sense”, said nominator Lars Wagner, Chairman of the German Leadership Award jury and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at MTU Aero Engines AG.

The award was presented at the annual alumni convention of the “Collège des Ingénieurs” in Munich. In her acceptance speech, Ayla Busch explained how far back equality and diversity go in the history of Busch Vacuum Solutions: “My parents founded our company as an equal partnership back in 1963. That is unique. And even at the very beginning, we had an employee who was deaf and whom my parents supported in becoming a master craftsman.”

After a reception at the beginning of the event and before he handed over to laudator Lars Wagner, Prof. Hans-Peter Mengele, Chairman of the sponsoring association of the German Leadership Award, explained its significance to the approximately 200 invited guests: “The German Leadership Award is a particularly authentic award for innovative corporate leadership in the German economy. It is sponsored by the network of German alumni of the ‘Collège des Ingénieurs’. The engineers and scientists from the ‘Collège des Ingénieurs’ are among the excellent leaders of the next generation.” Since 2014, these young leaders nominate every year personalities for the German Leadership Award who are role models for them.

After the ceremony, Ayla Busch exchanged views with former award winners in a round table discussion. Afterwards, the participants of the event had the opportunity to network and taste Bavarian delicacies.

@MTUaeroeng #Busch #PAuto 

President takes office!

Steven W. Pflantz, PE, is the 2017 President of the International Society of Automation (ISA).

Steve Pflantz

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve as ISA President for 2017. ISA is an organisation with a long and distinguished history of providing value to automation professionals and to the automation community at large,” he declared. “My overriding goal is to build upon ISA’s financial and operational success. One way I believe we can do this is by better leveraging our core strengths and capabilities in new ways and to take advantage of new business opportunities. We have so much technical expertise, knowledge, and content we can bring to bear to solve problems across a diverse range of industries beyond the processing and manufacturing sector.”

In this position, Pflantz will work with Society leaders and staff to increase awareness of the value and relevance of the ISA brand and build on ISA’s proven range of capabilities and resources for automation professionals, which includes standards development, education, training, certification, certificate programs, publications, and technical symposia and conferences.

Pflantz is an Associate in the St. Louis, Missouri office of CRB Consulting Engineers, Inc., a global consulting, design and construction services firm. He serves as a technical leader on many of CRB’s electrical and automation design projects, applying his extensive electrical engineering experience—particularly in the areas of instrumentation and controls.

A long-time ISA member and leader, Pflantz brings to his role as Society President a deep understanding of the automation profession, the needs and expectations of ISA members, and the value and significance of automation careers.

In 2012 and 2013, he served as Vice President of ISA’s Professional Development Department, encouraging members to take better advantage of the Society’s leadership training and development opportunities. He’s also served on ISA’s Executive Board (2008 and 2012) and as an ISA district vice president (2007 and 2008).

Pflantz has played a key role within the Automation Federation—ISA’s umbrella organization—on significant workforce development initiatives, including the formation of the Automation Competency Model and improving STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education in secondary schools.

He is ardent supporter of FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit public charity designed to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology, and to motivate students to pursue education and career opportunities in STEM fields. Each year, Pflantz represents ISA and the Automation Federation at the FIRST Championship, an international STEM celebration for K-12 students held in St. Louis and highlighted by the FIRST® Robotics Competition.

Pflantz has been at CRB Consulting Engineers since 2001. Before that, he held positions as: Senior E&I Engineer at Emerson Process and Air Products; Project Engineer at Celotex Corporation and TEC Systems, Inc.; and COOP Engineer at TAMKO.

In 2012, Pflantz was inducted into the Academy of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He’s also a member of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE).

Pflantz received a bachelor’s of science degree in electrical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

@ISA_Interchange #PAuto @CRB_USA