Joachim Fox - Director System Safety & Product Cybersecurity/Product Governance, Global R&D

Q: Where is Joachim based?

Joachim is based in Bassenheim, Germany and can operate in on-site , hybrid , and remote work models.

Q: What languages does Joachim speak?

Joachim speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced) .

Q: How many years of experience does Joachim have?

Joachim has at least 27 years of experience. During this time, Joachim has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 6 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 4 months . Note that Joachim may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Joachim's latest experience?

Joachim's most recent position is Director System Safety & Product Cybersecurity/Product Governance, Global R&D at ZF .

Q: What companies has Joachim worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Joachim has worked for ZF .

Q: Which industries is Joachim most experienced in?

Joachim is most experienced in industries like Automotive and Education .

Q: Which business areas is Joachim most experienced in?

Joachim is most experienced in business areas like Product Development , Information Technology , and Project Management . Joachim also has some experience in Research and Development and Quality Assurance .

Q: Which industries has Joachim worked in recently?

Joachim has recently worked in industries like Automotive .

Q: Which business areas has Joachim worked in recently?

Joachim has recently worked in business areas like Product Development , Information Technology , and Project Management .

Recommended expert

Bassenheim, Germany

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Experience

Jul 2021 - Present

5 years

Koblenz, Germany

Director System Safety & Product Cybersecurity/Product Governance, Global R&D

ZF

Lead global safety and cybersecurity strategy for ZF’s full product portfolio, including audits, assessments, release recommendations, processes, field monitoring, and incident response.
Serve as Governance, Risk & Compliance manager for ZF’s R&D.
Since January 1, 2025, took on additional responsibilities in AI, data privacy, and Automotive SPICE.
Pioneered a data-based safety and security culture powered by a company-wide digital platform and currently integrating agentic AI for continuous compliance measurement and incident response.
Oversee a team of approximately 50 employees across 10 global locations; oversee safety and cybersecurity for hundreds of product developments and over 5000 system and software engineers impacting all ZF product lines.

Aug 2015 - Jun 2021

5 years 11 months

Koblenz, Germany

Global Chief Engineer Braking & Steering Software Systems Engineering

ZF

Led development of software architecture platform for passenger car steering and braking systems, including teams for software safety and cybersecurity.
Directed software development processes and infrastructure.
Introduced Agile processes (Scrum).
Managed up to 100 employees worldwide, providing the platform to up to 100 parallel development projects and major vehicle platforms.

Jul 2008 - Jul 2015

7 years 1 month

Koblenz, Germany

Engineering Manager Base Software Development

ZF

Leading the safety-critical software platform for slip control systems and electronic parking brake and its development environment, including configuration and change management, continuous build and integration.
Managed a team of approximately 50 employees.
Technically managed large-scale customer projects for BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen and others.

Jan 2008 - Dec 2008

1 year

Saarbrücken, Germany

Lecturer Mechatronic Systems

htw saar, University of Applied Sciences

Lectured Mechatronic Systems.

Apr 2006 - Jun 2008

2 years 3 months

Regensburg, Germany

Manager Advanced Development - Control Engineering

Continental

Managed advanced development in control engineering.
Engaged in model-based system and software engineering.
Worked on brake-by-wire, belt load limiters, and electrical motors.

Dec 2001 - Mar 2006

4 years 4 months

Saarbrücken, Germany

Research Assistant

Laboratory for Process Automation, Saarland University

Conducted research and teaching in control engineering, robotics, inertial navigation systems, and image processing.

Jan 2001 - Dec 2002

2 years

Karlsruhe, Germany

Trainer Internet Search Strategies

Professional Education Center, University of Karlsruhe

Delivered two seminars on internet search strategies.

Jan 1999 - Jul 2000

1 year 7 months

Karlsruhe, Germany

Student Researcher

Chair for Theoretical Electrical Engineering, University of Karlsruhe

Conducted research on sensor fusion and Kalman filters.
Worked on wave digital filters and ADA programming.

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Automotive and Education.

Automotive

Education

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Product Development, Information Technology, Project Management, Research and Development, and Quality Assurance.

Product Development

Information Technology

Project Management

Research and Development

Quality Assurance

Summary

Visionary leader in automotive safety and cybersecurity with 20+ years of experience driving innovation in embedded systems and global governance. Proven track record in managing global safety-critical software platforms for braking and steering systems across major OEMs. Passionate about shaping the future of autonomous mobility through rigorous safety engineering and digital, AI supported transformation.

Skills

Management & Leadership System/Sw Engineering Leading Large International Teams In Complex Matrix Organizations, Mastering Both Hands-On Leadership And Top-Level Management Communication Cross-Functional Leadership, Strong Collaboration With Legal, Compliance, Ai Ethics Council, And Authorities (Bsi, Cisa) Well-Founded Network In Industry Associations (Vda, Clepa) Functional Safety (Iso 26262), Safety Of The Intended Functionality (Sotif – Iso 21448), Cybersecurity (Iso/Sae 21434, Unece R155/156), Uml/Sysml, Model-Based Engineering, Automotive Embedded Systems, Web Development, Fundamentals Of Agentic Ai
Process Models Automotive Spice, Agile (Scrum)

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Advanced

Education

Oct 1998 - Oct 2001

University of Karlsruhe (TH)

honors degree (1,1) · Electrical Engineering/Control Theory · Karlsruhe, Germany

Oct 1996 - Sep 1998

Saarland University

pre-degree (1,1) · Electrical Engineering/Control Theory · Saarbrücken, Germany

Oct 1986 - Jun 1995

Realgymnasium Völklingen

Abitur (1,0) · Völklingen, Germany

...and 1 more

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 8

Experience in Automotive 20 y

Avg length 3 y 7 m

Longest experience 7 y

Global Experience

Countries worked in 1 (Germany)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Director System Safety & Product Cybersecurity/Product Governance, Global R&D, Global Chief Engineer Braking & Steering Software Systems Engineering, Engineering Manager Base Software Development

Main industries Automotive, Education

Main business areas Product Development, Information Technology, Project Management

Qualifications

Highest degree Doctorate

Profile

Created

November 2025

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Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Find more information here.

Where is Joachim based?

Joachim is based in Bassenheim, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

What languages does Joachim speak?

Joachim speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced).

How many years of experience does Joachim have?

Joachim has at least 27 years of experience. During this time, Joachim has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 6 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 4 months. Note that Joachim may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Joachim be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Joachim would be well-suited for roles such as: Director System Safety & Product Cybersecurity/Product Governance, Global R&D, Global Chief Engineer Braking & Steering Software Systems Engineering, Engineering Manager Base Software Development.

What is Joachim's latest experience?

Joachim's most recent position is Director System Safety & Product Cybersecurity/Product Governance, Global R&D at ZF.

What companies has Joachim worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Joachim has worked for ZF.

Which industries is Joachim most experienced in?

Joachim is most experienced in industries like Automotive and Education.

Which business areas is Joachim most experienced in?

Joachim is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Information Technology, and Project Management. Joachim also has some experience in Research and Development and Quality Assurance.

Which industries has Joachim worked in recently?

Joachim has recently worked in industries like Automotive.

Which business areas has Joachim worked in recently?

Joachim has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Information Technology, and Project Management.

What is Joachim's education?

Joachim holds a Doctorate from Saarland University, a Bachelor in Electrical Engineering/Control Theory from University of Karlsruhe (TH) and a Bachelor in Electrical Engineering/Control Theory from Saarland University.

What is the availability of Joachim?

Joachim is immediately available part-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Joachim?

Joachim's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.