Ralph Petersen is the new Managing Director of CustomCells
New Managing Director: Experienced executive and former Blohm+Voss CEO Dr. Ralph Petersen will join CustomCells in August and will further strengthen the company’s focus on the defense sector and highly customized battery solutions. “With Ralph Petersen, we are gaining a CEO who combines industrial leadership experience, maritime expertise, and a deep understanding of defense applications. CustomCells develops customized high-performance battery cells for safety-critical applications in which performance, reliability, and sovereign supply chains are essential.
Sven Rossmann, speaking on behalf of the Advisory Board and the shareholders, says:
Ralph Petersen is the right person to systematically drive CustomCells’ continued growth,
Petersen served as Managing Director of Blohm+Voss from 2018 to 2025. He holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Helmut Schmidt University, the University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, and brings many years of international management experience. His previous roles include CEO of Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon, as well as various management positions at Lufthansa Technik and A.T. Kearney. Earlier in his career, Petersen served for many years as a naval officer in the German Armed Forces. This combination gives him extensive industrial expertise and a first-hand understanding of maritime and safety-critical applications. “CustomCells has an exceptional technological foundation and the expertise to develop and industrialize sophisticated battery cells in Germany. In defense and other safety-critical applications in particular, performance, availability, and sovereign supply chains are crucial. I look forward to working with the team to build a scalable business on these strengths,” says Ralph Petersen. Petersen completes the three-member management team alongside COO and Co-Managing Director Dr. Jan Diekmann and CTO Andreas Löhrke, both of whom have held senior roles at CustomCells for several years. He succeeds Benno Leuthner, who left the company at his own request in June 2026 after ten years with CustomCells to pursue new entrepreneurial and professional opportunities.
READ the latest Batteries News shaping the battery market
Ralph Petersen is the new Managing Director of CustomCells, source
