Ralf Holighaus is a senior leader and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of managing experience, gained in the IT and telecommunications business before coming back to Schempp-Hirth in 2012, now serving as General Manager together with his brother (and CEO) Tilo Holighaus.
Before starting his own consulting company and until 2010, he lead a global team of around 100 people for Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN, which in the meantime became Nokia) out of Berlin, Germany and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Prior to joining NSN, Ralf was CEO and co-founder of the Berlin based mobile data network access and policy control solution provider Netzwert AG, a 40+ staff business that was acquired in 2007 by Apertio Ltd. a few months before Apertio became part of NSN in early 2008.
He gained experience in working with International investors during his time as a Board Member at Apertio and later, as Chairman of the Board, he contributed to the successful exit of Berlin based, VC funded start-up IPTEGO, which was acquired by AcmePacket (now part of Oracle) in 2012.
Until the mid nineties, Ralf was an active glider pilot, which included taking part in competitions and serving as instructor. He accompanied his father to many competitions and record flights all over the World and always kept closely connected to the International world of gliding.