Speakers
Our experts on tax issues.
Doris Achelwilm
MdB, Sprecherin für Steuerpolitik (Die Linke)
Benjamin Angel
Director, EU Commission, BrusselsBenjamin Angel currently serves as the Director for direct taxation, tax coordination, economic analysis, and evaluation at the European Commission's Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union (TAXUD). He has also held roles as the Director for indirect taxation, Treasury and Financial operations, and the economies of the Member States in the Directorate General for economic and financial affairs (ECFIN). Benjamin Angel holds a PhD in law, an MBA in finance, a master's in public administration focused on economics, and a master's in political science.
Prof. Dr. Heribert M. Anzinger
University Professor, University of UlmProf. Dr. iur. Heribert M. Anzinger is Professor of Business and Tax Law at the University of Ulm. He completed his first and second state examinations in law in Bayreuth and Munich, is a business lawyer (University of Bayreuth), holds a doctorate and was a junior professor at the Technical University of Darmstadt. His research focuses on German, European and international corporate, financial and tax law with references to civil, accounting, corporate and capital market law as well as the digitalization of law.
Philip Baker
King's Counsel, Field Court Tax ChambersPhilip Baker KC is a practicing barrister and King's Counsel with chambers in Field Court, Gray's Inn. He is also a Visiting Professor at Oxford University Law School and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London. He specializes in international aspects of taxation, covering both corporate and private client matters. He has advised and represented several governments on tax matters and has appeared as an expert witness in cases around the world. He has a particular interest in taxation and the European Convention on Human Rights. He is the author of a book on double taxation treaties and editor of the International Tax Law Reports. He was one of the general rapporteurs on the practical protection of taxpayers' rights for the International Fiscal Association Congress in Basel in 2015 and is one of the directors of the Observatory for the Protection of Taxpayers' Rights.
Ákos Baráti
Partner, Jalsovszky
"As a partner with 15 years of experience, I am heading the direct tax advisory, HNWI and capital markets service lines of Jalsovszky, a market leading tax and legal advisor in Hungary, Budapest.
Over the last one and a half decade I have been involved in major domestic and international group restructurings and advised many high net worth individuals / families."
Paolo Valerio Barbantini
Group Head of Tax, Fincantieri Group
Paolo Valerio Barbantini is Head of Tax of Fincantieri Group, a leading public company operating in the shipbuilding industry in Italy and abroad as from March 2024.
Between 2018 until February 2024 he has served the Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle entrate) as Deputy Director General.
From 2015 until January 2018, Mr. Barbantini has been working at the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration as coordinator of BEPS and Developing Countries and then as responsible for their engagement and launch of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS.
Before joining the OECD, he served the Italian Revenue Agency as Director of the Large Business Division (2009-2014) and as Director of the Italian APA program (2004-2009).
He had been appointed as delegate at various OECD working parties (WP6, Vice-Chair of the ATP Steering Group and at WP11 for BEPS Action 2-3-4) and involved in several IFC-World Bank Group technical assistance programs delivered to developing countries on transfer pricing, aggressive tax planning and capacity building (e.g. Georgia, Thailand, Myanmar, etc.).
He is member of the faculty of the University of Lausanne (Tax Policy center and Master on Advanced Studies on International Taxation) and lecturer at the ITC at the University of Leiden (NL). He has also been involved in several IFA initiatives including being member of the IFA Permanent Scientific Committee and currently member of the IFA Supervisory Board. As from 2025 he is member of the Board of Trustees of the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (IBFD).
Before joining the Italian Revenue and the OECD, he worked in the private practice. He received his degree in Economics at the Rome University and a post-graduate degree in International Taxation.
Fabian Baumer
Vice Director / Head of the Tax Policy Division, Federal Tax Administration, BernFabian Baumer is Vice Director and member of the Executive Board of the Federal Tax Administration in Bern. He is Head of the Tax Policy Division. Previously, he worked for an international law firm in Zurich and Washington, D.C., and headed the legal department of a cantonal tax administration. Fabian Baumer is a guest lecturer at the Universities of Lausanne and St. Gallen.
Dr. Stefan Behrens
Partner, Clifford Chance, Frankfurt am Main
Dr. Stefan Behrens, RA/FAStR/StB, ist Partner bei Clifford Chance in Frankfurt a. M. Seine Tätigkeitsschwerpunkte sind die steuerliche Beratung bei Unternehmenskäufen und -umstrukturierungen, Immobilieninvestments sowie Fondsstrukturierungen und Finanzgerichtsverfahren.
Katharina Beck
MdB, Finanzpolitische Sprecherin (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Deutscher Bundestag
Katharina Beck ist seit 2021 Bundestagsabgeordnete für Hamburg und Sprecherin für Finanzpolitik der Fraktion Bündnis 90/Die GRÜNEN. Zudem kontrolliert Beck als Verwaltungsrätin die KfW.
Beck ist Co-Autorin des Buches „Green Ferry – das Ticket ins konsequent nachhaltige Wirtschaften“, das 2022 erschien. Vor ihrem Einzug in den Bundestag hat Beck als Unternehmensberaterin für Nachhaltigkeit mit Großunternehmen und als Aufsichtsrätin in einem Bildungs-Fin-Tech gearbeitet, ein Unternehmen gegründet und zwei internationale Organisationen geleitet.
Beck engagiert sich neben ihrer parlamentarischen Arbeit im Kuratorium der Stiftung Verantwortungseigentum für eine neue Rechtsform mit 100%iger Vermögensbindung und in der IDI – Initiative deutsche Infrastruktur e.V. für eine gute Finanzierung der Infrastruktur.
Christoph Becker
Partner, Baker McKenzie
Christoph Becker ist Steuerberater und langjähriger Partner bei Baker McKenzie in Frankfurt. Sein Tätigkeitschwerpunkt liegt im internationalen Steuerrecht und in der steuerlichen Beratung bei komplexen Unternehmenstransaktionen und Umstrukturierungen. Daneben vertritt er Mandanten in streitigen Verfahren gegenüber den Finanzbehörden.
Dr. Florian Bentele
General Counsel Private Markets, Allianz Global Investors
Dr. Florian Bentele ist seit mehr als 20 Jahren als Rechtsanwalt in den Bereichen Financial Services und Asset Management tätig. Als General Counsel Private Markets verantwortet er die Bereiche Recht und Compliance für das Private-Markets-Geschäft der Allianz Global Investors GmbH, der Allianz Global Investors UK Limited, der Allianz Capital Partners GmbH und der Allianz Capital Partners of America LLC. Er ist (Co-)Autor diverser Fachpublikationen sowie eines Kommentars zum Kapitalanlagegesetzbuch.
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Benz
Partner, Seitz Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mbB, CologneProf. Dr. Sebastian Benz is a lawyer and tax law specialist at Seitz Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mbB in Cologne. He is also an honorary professor at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster and specializes in corporate tax law and tax transaction structuring. He has written numerous articles on tax law.
Dr. Hans-Georg Berg
Partner, Schilling Zutt Anschütz, Frankfurt am Main
Dr. Hans-Georg Berg schloss 1983 seine Ausbildung zum Diplom-Finanzwirt an der Bayerischen Beamtenfachhochschule in Herrsching ab. Nach dem Ersten Staatsexamen in Würzburg (1990) und dem Zweiten Staatsexamen (1993) wurde er 1995 an der Universität Würzburg zum Dr. jur. promoviert. Seit 1993 ist er als Rechtsanwalt im Bereich des Steuerrechts tätig, mit einem besonderen Schwerpunkt auf grenzüberschreitenden steuerrechtlichen Fragestellungen. Seit 1999 ist er zudem Fachanwalt für Steuerrecht. Seit 2010 ist er Partner bei SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz in Frankfurt.
Jack Bernstein
Senior Partner, Aird & Berlis, Toronto
Jack Bernstein is one of Canada’s preeminent tax lawyers. He is a prolific writer and speaker and is internationally recognized for excellent service and delivering practical and innovative advice that his clients can trust. Who’s Who Legal: Corporate Tax has described him as "the leading Canadian tax adviser" with an "unparalleled profile" in the market and has ranked him "among the top 10 recommended tax lawyers in the world," and Who’s Who Legal: Canada has noted that "He is extremely strong – a number of players rated him as the star of the tax bar" and that he "commands a spectacular reputation as a first tier tax lawyer and is an excellent writer and speaker." He is commended for his knowledge of the local market, outstanding legal ability and responsiveness.
Dr. Marc Binger
SVP Taxes and Duties, BASF SE, Ludwigshafen
Dr. Marc Binger ist seit 2010 bei BASF im Steuer- sowie Finanzbereich tätig und leitet seit 2025 die globale Steuerfunktion der BASF SE. Er ist Mitglied des Vorstands des VCI-Steuerausschusses sowie Mitglied des BDI-Steuerausschusses und des Arbeitskreises ‚Steuern‘ der Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft für Betriebswirtschaft e.V.
Prof. Dr. Mathias Birnbaum
Partner, Mazars GmbH & Co. KG, DüsseldorfDr. Mathias Birnbaum is an honorary professor at the University of Leipzig and a partner in the International Tax department at Mazars in Düsseldorf. He advises clients from Germany and abroad, in particular in the areas of international tax structuring, outbound/inbound investments, permanent establishments, reorganizations, acquisitions and financial litigation.
Bernd Brinkamp
Head of Indirect Tax, Vodafone GmbH, Düsseldorf
Bernd Brinkamp ist seit über 20 Jahren im Bereich Umsatzsteuer tätig. Nach dem Jurastudium in Konstanz, Genf und Lausanne folgten weitere Ausbildungsstationen beim EuGH und der OFD Berlin. Seine umsatzsteuerliche Laufbahn führt von einer Big4 zur METRO AG und zuletzt zur Vodafone GmbH. Themenschwerpunkte waren bislang u.a. die ustl. Optimierung von Lieferketten, Aufbau eines IKS für Umsatzsteuer, die Digitalisierung der Steuerfunktion inkl. Einbindung von ausl. Shared Service Centern sowie die Einführung des e-invoicing im Konzern. Er ist Mitglied des Arbeitskreises Umsatzsteuer des BDI und des AWV sowie Mitglied beim Umsatzsteuerforum e.V.
Torsten Bock
Richter, Finanzgericht Berlin-Brandenburg
Torsten Bock ist Richter am Finanzgericht Berlin Brandenburg. Nach mehreren Stationen in der Bundesfinanzverwaltung (Referent im Bundesministerium der Finanzen und im Bundeszentralamt für Steuern) wurde er als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an den Bundesfinanzhof abgeordnet. Es ist Mitautor von Kommentaren u.a. zum GrEStG, GrStG und zum ErbStG.
Roland Bodenstein
Senior Director Transfer Pricing, KION Group
Roland Bodenstein (Dipl. Volkswirt, MA) ist seit über 20 Jahren im Bereich Verrechnungspreise tätig. Seit 2022 leitet er bei der KION Group den Bereich Verrechnungspreise. Zuvor war er in der Automobilzuliefererindustrie und der Beratung tätig. Seine Schwerpunkte liegen im Bereich der Funktionsverlagerung und Finanztransaktionen. Er ist Mitglied des Arbeitskreis Verrechnungspreise des AWV.
Lutz Boxberger,
Managing Director I General Counsel, Golding Capital Partners GmbH
Lutz Boxberger, Managing Director und General Counsel, ist seit 2017 für die rechtliche und steuerrechtliche Gestaltung der Anlageprodukte bei Golding Capital Partners verantwortlich. Er ist zudem Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender des AIFM Golding Capital Partners (Luxembourg) S.A. Er ist Dipl.-Finanzwirt (FH) und seit 2003 als Rechtsanwalt sowie seit 2008 als Steuerberater zugelassen und Mitherausgeber des Beck’schen Kurzkommentars zum KAGB als auch des Rechtshandbuchs Private Equity.
Dr. Thomas Böcker
Rechtsanwalt (Syndikusrechtsanwalt) Gruppenleiter Product Tax – Alternative Investments, Universal-Investment-Gesellschaft mbH, Berlin
Dr. Thomas Böcker, LL.M. Taxation
Thomas Böcker ist in der Steuerabteilung der Fonds-Service-Plattform Universal Investment tätig. Als Gruppenleiter verantwortet er die steuerlichen Themen rund um Fonds- und Verbriefungslösungen für Alternative Investments in Deutschland, Luxemburg und Irland. Zuvor war er mehrere Jahre als Rechtsanwalt im Steuer- und Aufsichtsrecht tätig. Er ist Mitautor eines Kommentars zum Investmentsteuergesetz.
Dr. Rolf Bösinger
Staatssekretär, Bundesministerium der Finanzen, Berlin
Dr. Rolf Bösinger ist seit Mai 2025 Staatssekretär im Bundesministerium der Finanzen, eine Funktion, die er bereits von 2018 bis 2021 innehatte. Von 2021 bis 2025 war er Staatssekretär im Bundesministerium für Wohnen. Zuvor prägte er als Staatsrat für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Innovation in Hamburg die Finanz- und Wirtschaftspolitik der Stadt. Frühere Stationen führten ihn ins Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales sowie in die Staatskanzlei des Saarlandes.
Dr. Gottfried Breuninger
Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, MunichDr. Gottfried E. Breuninger is head of the German tax practice and Chair of Global Tax. He is one of the leading German tax law experts. In addition to advising on corporate tax law, his focus is on advising and representing companies in tax audits and investigations of complex tax transactions. This also includes the (judicial) representation of companies in tax disputes at the interface between tax law and criminal law.
Rebecca Burch
Deputy Assistant Secretary International Tax Affairs,Office of Tax Policy U.S. Department of the Treasury
The Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs leading the United States Department of Treasury Office of Tax Policy’s work on international tax affairs, including regulations, treaties, and the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS negotiations on Pillar 2.
Emmet Campbell
Seconded National Expert, DG TAXUD, VAT Policy, European Commission, EU-Commission, Brüssel
Emmet Campbell is a senior VAT policy expert working at EU and national level. Currently a Seconded National Expert in the European Commission (DG TAXUD), he contributes to major VAT reforms including VAT in the Digital Age, notably the Single VAT Registration pillar, as well as e-commerce and IOSS reforms. He previously held senior VAT policy and interpretation roles with Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners.
Gabriela Capristano Cardoso
Transfer Pricing Advisor
OECD
Gabriela Capristano Cardoso is an Advisor in the Transfer Pricing Unit at the OECD since 2021. She has been involved in various transfer pricing projects, including the work on Amount B of Pillar One of the project on the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, global mobility, and CbCR.
Previously, she has worked for the United Nations, the Vienna University of Economic and Business (WU) and for EY on international tax and transfer pricing matters.
Gabriela holds a Degree in Law from the Catholic University of Pernambuco, Brazil, an Advanced LL.M. in International Tax from Leiden University, the Netherlands, and is currently a PhD candidate in International Tax at WU, Austria.
Ralf Chalupnik
Director Tax Policy, Allianz SE, MunichRalf Chalupnik has been working for Allianz SE in Munich since spring 2009. He works in the Group Taxation (Tax Policy) department for the Allianz Group. After studying law and completing his legal clerkship, he began his professional career in the Berlin tax authorities in 1995. Before joining Allianz SE, he worked as deputy head of the tax department at GDV, where he was responsible for corporate tax law, among other things.
Michel Collet
Partner, CMS Francis Lefebvre, Paris
Michel Collet advises banks, funds, and public and private companies on cross-border transactions, including M&A, financing, real estate, and securitization. He also advises Territories such as Saint-Barthélemy and Guadeloupe on tax policy and institutional reforms, assists HNWIs with cross-border family planning, and represents clients before national courts and the European Court of Human Rights. He is a lecturer at the university of Orléans on Fiducie.
Alessandro Denaro
EU official, EU-Commission
Alessandro Denaro has been working at the Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission in fiscal aid an aggressive tax planning since 2015.
He was responsible for several investigations into tax practices of the Member States which were considered to violate state aid law, by granting a favorable tax treatment to certain companies, in particular through tax rulings. Previously, from 2006 to 2015, Alessandro worked for the APA office of the Italian Revenue Agency.
From 2012 to 2015 Alessandro was appointed as Italian delegate to the EU Council’s Working Party on Tax Questions - Direct Taxation, to the EU Joint Transfer Pricing Forum, to international tax seminars (IOTA, Fiscalis), to the OECD WP6. Alessandro regularly lectures on transfer pricing, international taxation and State aid and he wrote several articles for Italian tax journals.
Alessandro holds a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration and a Master in tax law with honors.
Dr. Jan de Weerth
Director, Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt am MainDr. Jan de Weerth (lawyer/specialist lawyer for tax law/tax consultant) has worked in the tax department of Deutsche Bank for over 25 years, focusing on various areas. He has also been head of the Tax Law Institute at the German Lawyers' Institute (DAI) for several years. He is also a speaker at tax conferences in Germany and abroad and the author of numerous publications, in particular on VAT law, international tax law and EU tax law.
Thomas Dierichs
Head of Taxes, Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG, NurembergThomas Dierichs (born 1963), Dipl.-Kfm., tax consultant, has been head of the tax department of the Diehl Group in Nuremberg, a family-run technology company, since fall 2006. Prior to this, he was a partner at Rödl & Partner after completing his studies in Nuremberg. He is a member of the board of the BDI tax committee and chairman of the working group on tax issues for partnerships. He is also a member of the tax committee of the DIHK and the executive committee of the Bavarian IFA.
Prof. Dr. Xaver Ditz
Partner, Flick Gocke Schaumburg Partnerschaft mbB, Bonn
Prof. Dr. Xaver Ditz hat Wirtschaftswissenschaften in Mannheim und Hamburg studiert. Seit 2000 ist er bei Flick Gocke Schaumburg in Bonn tätig und dort seit 2005 Partner.
Xaver Ditz ist Honorarprofessor an der Universität Trier, Lehrbeauftragter an den Universitäten Zürich und Lausanne und Gastdozent an der Bundesfinanzakademie.
Er ist Mitherausgeber der Zeitschriften Internationale Steuer-Rundschau (ISR), Internationales Steuerrecht (IStR) und International Transfer Pricing Journal (ITPJ).
Außerdem ist er Mitherausgeber von Kommentaren und Handbüchern: Flick/Wassermeyer/Ditz/Schönfeld, Außensteuerrecht; Wassermeyer/Baumhoff/Ditz, Verrechnungspreise international verbundener Unternehmen; Schönfeld/Ditz, DBA; Wassermeyer/Andresen/Ditz, Betriebsstättenhandbuch.
Xaver Ditz ist Vorsitzender des Fachinstituts der Steuerberater e.V., Präsident der International Fiscal Association (IFA) Deutschland, Mitglied des Steuerausschusses der International Chamber of Commerce sowie des Ausschusses Außensteuerrecht des IDW und Board-Mitglied bei Taxand.
Deirdre Donaghy
Head of Business Tax, Department of Finance
Deirdre Donaghy is the Head of Business Tax in Ireland's Department of Finance. She has responsibility for advising on and implementing changes to corporation tax policy, including business tax incentives. She has overseen Ireland's transposition of the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directives and Minimum Tax Directive. Prior to joining the Department, Deirdre worked in tax practice for over 10 years.
Prof. Dr. Christian Dorenkamp
Senior Vice President Tax, Deutsche Telekom AG, BonnChristian Dorenkamp heads the Group Tax department at Deutsche Telekom. He studied economics and law in Cologne. He chairs the BITKOM tax working group and is a lecturer in international tax law at the University of Cologne.
Iulia Dragomir
Partner, bpv Grigorescu StefanicaIulia Dragomir is a partner at bpv GRIGORESCU STEFANICA and specializes in mergers and acquisitions, commercial and tax law. Iulia Dragomir advises clients on private equity (PE) and M&A transactions and is adept at handling complex projects for large local and international clients, including corporate restructuring projects and tax structuring of transactions. She regularly advises her clients on the tax implications of various transactions and has extensive experience in the design and implementation of employee participation structures. Her expertise also extends to competition, employment and public procurement law, both in the area of general compliance, where she regularly provides training to client teams, as well as assisting with specific complex projects involving regulatory investigations, restructuring and reorganization processes, and litigation and out-of-court disputes.
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Drüen
University Professor, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, MunichProfessor Dr. Klaus-Dieter Drüen was born in Moers (Lower Rhine) in 1969. After graduating from high school, he completed his vocational training in the financial administration of North Rhine-Westphalia and then studied economics and law. After completing his doctorate and habilitation at the Ruhr University Bochum, he took over the Chair of Corporate Tax Law at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in 2007. Since 2015, he has held the Chair of German, European and International Tax Law and Public Law at the LMU Munich.
Dr. Astrid Eiling
Managing Partner, Lüdicke & Kollegen Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, DüsseldorfDr. Astrid Eiling co-founded Lüdicke & Kollegen Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH after working for several years in a major international law firm. In particular, she advises wealthy private individuals as well as entrepreneurs and companies on questions of (inheritance) tax structure planning. She is a lecturer at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
Holger Engelke
Head of Group Tax Munich Re, Münchner Rück, München
Holger Engelke, Diplomkaufmann und Steuerberater, ist seit 2011 Global Head of Group Tax der Munich Re. Er ist Vorsitzender des GDV Steuerausschusses, des IHK Finanz- und Steuerausschusses für München und Oberbayern sowie der Taxation Working Group bei Insurance Europe.
Prof. Dr. Michael Fischer
Professor, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen/NurembergFrom 1993 to 1996, I completed my doctorate at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. I then worked from 1994 to 2000 as a temporary academic advisor to Prof. Dr. Georg Crezelius, before completing my habilitation in 2000 with the publication "Die Unentgeltlichkeit im Zivilrecht" ("Gratuitousness in Civil Law") and obtaining a teaching license for civil law, tax law and commercial and corporate law.
Prof. Dr. Ulf Freytag
Fresenius SE, Senior Vice PresidentSenior Vice President Tax, Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Bad Homburg. Ulf Freytag has headed the tax function of the Fresenius Group since 2012. He is an honorary professor at the University of Leipzig and a tax consultant.
Prof. Dr. Dr. H.c. Clemens Fuest
President, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich e.V.
Prof. Dr. Dr. H.c. Clemens Fuest, President of the ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, Managing Director of CESifo GmbH, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Economic Studies (CES) at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. His research areas are economic and financial policy, international taxation, tax policy and European integration. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Market Economy Foundation (Kronberger Kreis) and the Family Business Foundation.
Georg Geberth
Siemens AG, MunichGeorg Geberth began his professional career at the DIHK. He then moved to the tax department of the BDI, first in Berlin and then in Brussels. In 2007, he moved to Siemens in Munich. There he is responsible for national and international tax policy at OECD and EU level. In 2021, he founded the non-profit Institute for Digitalization in Tax Law, of which he is Chairman.
Dr. Gregor Gehauf
Team Leader Taxes, BMW GroupDr. Gregor Gehauf has headed the tax function at BMW Bank GmbH for almost four years. He has over 20 years of experience in the field of transfer pricing and headed the VP team of the BMW Group for six years. The focus of his work was the planning and documentation of supply chain projects and their defense in tax audits. Dr. Gehauf has conducted a large number of unilateral and bilateral appeal proceedings in recent years and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences. He is a member of the StBK Munich and holds a doctorate in economics from the LMU Munich.
Dr. Walther Graf
Lawyer, Feigen-Graf-Rechtsanwälte, CologneDr. Walther Graf is a founding partner of the law firm FEIGEN GRAF. He has been advising and representing companies and their executives for over 25 years on all matters of commercial and criminal tax law. Dr. Graf studied law in Bielefeld and Bonn and completed his doctorate on a criminal procedure topic. He is a specialist lawyer for criminal law.
Kay Gottschalk
Finanzpolitischer Sprecher, AfD-Bundestagsfraktion
MdB, Geboren am 12.12.1965 in Hamburg. Nach Abschluss des Gymnasiums 1985 mit anschließendem Doppelstudium Banklehre sowie Betriebswirtschaft und Rechtswissenschaften (Dipl.-Kfm.) arbeitete er als leitender Angestellter bei Versicherungskonzernen. Seit 2013 AfD-Mitglied und nun stv. Bundessprecher als auch finanzpolitischer Sprecher der AfD-BT-Fraktion. Seit Jan. 2026 stv. Mitglied im Ausschuss für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (AwZ). In der 19. Legislatur war er der Vorsitzende des PUA Wirecard.
Fritz Güntzler
Member of the German Bundestag, CDU/CSU, Berlin/GöttingenFritz Güntzler, business graduate, is a tax consultant and has been President of the Lower Saxony Chamber of Tax Consultants since 2019. He studied business administration in Saarbrücken and Göttingen. He has been a member of the German Bundestag, the Finance and Sports Committee and the Federal Financing Committee since 2013. He was a member of the Cum/Ex Investigation Committee in the 18th WP and the Wirecard Investigation Committee in the 19th WP. He has been Chairman of the Sports Committee since 2022. Güntzler is Managing Director of various auditing firms and is involved in committees such as the Administrative Board of the Institute of Public Auditors in Germany.
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Haarmann
Lawyer, auditor, tax advisor HAARMANN Law, Tax & Arbitration
Wilhelm Haarmann is a lawyer, tax advisor and auditor with many years of experience in national and international tax, corporate and transaction law and in arbitration as well as on the supervisory board or board of directors of companies in various sectors, of different sizes and of different types (domestic/foreign, family-owned or broadly diversified listed companies). He continues to act as an active consultant in the fields of his special knowledge and experience. He is a "Trusted Advisor" for numerous companies and entrepreneurs.
Prof. Dr. Florian Haase
Rödl & Partner, PartnerProf. Dr. Florian Haase, M.I.Tax, is a German lawyer, tax lawyer and tax consultant. He is a partner in the international law, tax and auditing firm Rödl & Partner. There he heads both the International Tax Practice and the Tax Knowledge Management Team of Rödl & Partner Germany. He is also responsible for the tax department at the Hamburg office. In addition to his work at the firm, he is a professor of tax law at the IU International University.
Sylvia Heckmeier
Global Head of Tax, Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg
Studium der Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Steuerberaterin
KPMG Steuerberatung
Verschiedene Stationen in der Industrie
Global Head of Tax, Infineon Technologies AG seit August 2025
Frauke Heiligenstadt
MdB, Finanzpolitische Sprecherin (SPD), Northeim
Dr. Carsten Heinz
Tax advisor/partner, Noerr PartGmbB, MunichDr. Carsten Heinz is co-head of Noerr's Tax & Private Clients practice group. His practice focuses on transaction tax law, advising on national and cross-border group reorganizations as well as special tax issues for family offices and family businesses. He is a lecturer at the Free University of Berlin and a member of the FORUM Transactions in Tax Law.
Dr. Marcus Helios
Partner, Grant Thornton AG WirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaftDr. Marcus Helios has been a partner in the Financial Service Tax department for more than 13 years. In addition to providing income tax advice to banks (corporate level, product level), his expertise also includes providing tax advice to insurance companies and asset managers. Independent market observers (Juve, Handelsblatt) rank Dr. Helios among the leading advisors in the field of financial taxes.
Expertise: Corporate tax law, tax law and accounting aspects of financial instruments and investments, investigations into dividend arbitrage transactions Professional work/memberships: Haisch/Helios, Rechtshandbuch Finanzinstrumente; numerous publications in the areas of corporate tax, tax accounting law and investment tax law; Deutsche Steuerjuristische Gesellschaft e.V.; editor of the journal "Recht der Finanzinstrumente".
André Hengst
Tax Technology Leader, EYAndré Hengst heads the high-performance Indirect Tax team. He works closely with EY experts in Europe and worldwide.
His main areas of activity include the implementation of SAP-integrated functionality for the management of transactional taxes. Solutions for continuous monitoring as part of tax control systems and tax reporting can also be found there
Dr. Rer. Pol. Yves Hervé
Senior Managing Director, Nera Economic Consulting GmbH, Frankfurt am MainDr. Yves Hervé is Head of Transfer Pricing at NERA Economic Consulting in Germany. He was previously an accounting partner at KPMG and PWC. He mainly advises international groups on international tax disputes and on planning and structuring issues relating to intangible assets. He publishes extensively nationally and internationally on hot transfer pricing topics, in particular with a focus on intangibles, DEMPE contributions and profit splits.
Prof. Dr. Johanna Hey
Director of the Institute for Tax Law, University of Cologne
Johanna Hey has been Director of the Institute for Tax Law at the University of Cologne since 2006. She has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry of Finance since 2006 and has been Chairwoman of the Berliner Steuergespräche e.V. and Chairwoman of the Deutsche Steuerjuristische Gesellschaft since 2023. She is also the editor in charge of the Herrmann/Heuer/Raupach commentary on the EStG/KStG and managing editor of the journal Steuer und Wirtschaft.
Dr. Mathias Hildebrandt
Head of Group Tax, Enpal B.V, Berlin
Mathias Hildebrandt leitet seit September 2023 den Steuerbereich von Enpal, einem Anbieter von Erneuerbare Energien Lösungen. Zuvor war er Leiter Steuern der Bauer Media Group (Hamburg) und der ProSiebenSat1 Gruppe (Unterföhring). Er hat davor über vier Jahre die zentrale Steuerabteilung des Zalando Konzerns in Berlin aufgebaut. Begonnen hat er seine steuerliche Tätigkeit als Berater in Berlin und anschließend als Inhouse-Experte für sechs Jahre in der Steuerabteilung von British American Tobacco in Hamburg.
Prof. Dr. Pascal Hinny
Partner, Lenz & StaehlinProf. Dr. iur., lawyer and certified tax expert, has been a partner at Lenz & Staehelin Attorneys at Law in Zurich since 2007 and is a full professor of tax law at the University of Fribourg i.Ü.
Prof. Dr. Daniela Hohenwarter-Mayr
University Professor University of Vienna Institute of Business Law
Daniela Hohenwarter-Mayr has been Professor of Financial Law since 2020 and Head of the Institute of Business Law at the University of Vienna since 2024. There she also heads the LL.M. course "Tax Law and Accounting". Her publications and research focus on international and European corporate tax law.
Martina Hötker
Head of Tax Domestic, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Stuttgart
Martina Hötker ist seit 2025 Head of Tax Domestic bei der Mercedes-Benz Group AG. In ihrer Rolle verantwortet sie die Bereiche Ertragsteuer, Lohnsteuer und M&A Tax für die deutschen Gesellschaften des Mercedes-Benz Konzerns. Ferner ist sie verantwortlich für die externe steuerliche Berichterstattung des Konzerns. Zuvor war sie mehrere Jahre Leiterin der Konzernsteuerabteilung der HUGO BOSS AG sowie über 10 Jahre in diversen Funktionen mit unterschiedlichen Schwerpunkten in Beratungsunternehmen tätig. Sie engagiert sich im Bereich der Steuerpolitik und Verbandsarbeit sowie als Referentin auf Steuerfachtagungen.
Dr. Michael Hölzl
Siemens Energy, MunichDr. Michael Hölzl, business graduate and tax consultant, has been Global Head of Tax & Customs at SIEMENS ENERGY AG since 2019. From 2011 to 2019, he was responsible for the global tax function at OSRAM. He played a key role in the IPOs of both companies. Prior to that, he worked for SIEMENS AG for many years, most recently as Head of Strategic Tax Planning. He is the author of numerous publications in the tax field and is well known for his many lectures. Michael Hölzl is a member of the tax working group of the Schmalenbach Society, the executive committee of the Bavarian IFA section and the board of the BDI tax committee.
Franz Hruschka
Senior Government Director, Munich Tax OfficeSenior Government Director Franz Hruschka has headed the tax audit department at the Munich Tax Office since 2010. He is the author and editor of various works on international tax law and corporate tax law as well as co-author of a DTA commentary. He is also a regular speaker on these topics in Germany and abroad. He is also a member of the executive committee of the Bavarian IFA, scientific editor of the specialist journal DStR and a permanent contributor to the specialist journal IStR.
Prof. Dr. David Hummel
Speaker, EU Court of Justice, LuxembourgProf. Dr. David Hummel, holder of the venia legendi for "Public Law, in particular Tax Law and Public Commercial Law" at the University of Leipzig, received his doctorate in 2009 from Prof. Dr. Holger Stadie on a VAT law topic. After his habilitation in 2013 under Prof. Dr. Marc Desens with a focus on "Legal form neutrality in public law", he obtained the venia legendi. Since October 2016, he has been working as a consultant at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, where he focuses on tax law and state aid law proceedings, in the cabinet of the German Advocate General Prof. Dr. Juliane Kokott. He is also active as an author in various major commentaries on national tax law and in a commentary on the German Basic Law (Sachs, GG, Beck Verlag).
Dr. Christian Hundeshagen
Partner, Steuerrecht, Frankfurt, Linklaters LLP
Dr. Christian Hundeshagen ist Partner bei Linklaters LLP in Frankfurt und spezialisiert auf nationale und internationale Unternehmensbesteuerung. Er berät zu nationalen und grenzüberschreitenden M&A, Private Equity and Restrukturierungs-Transaktionen und steuerlichen Aspekten bei Umwandlungen und Reorganisationen sowie im Bereich der Verrechnungspreise und der Betriebsstätten-Gewinnabgrenzung.
Er ist Global Lead Tax & Criminal Tax Law Investigations, Mitglied des fachbereichsübergreifenden Crisis Management & Compliance Teams von Linklaters und verfügt über umfangreiche Expertise im steuerlichen Krisenmanagement und der Beratung in steuerstrafrechtlichen Ermittlungsverfahren.
Seit März 2025 ist Christian Hundeshagen Expertenbeirat für Internationales Steuerrecht beim Verband Internationaler Banken in Deutschland (VIB). Er ist zudem ständiger Lehrbeauftragter für Unternehmensbesteuerung an der Katholischen Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Von JUVE wird Christian Hundeshagen für Transaktions- und Unternehmenssteuern empfohlen.
Dr. Armin Ilka
Head of Tax Germany, Heimstaden, Berlin
Armin Ilka ist Steuerberater sowie Diplom-Kaufmann und Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieur. Er ist seit 2025 als Head of Tax Germany bei der Heimstaden Group tätig, wo er das gesamte deutsche Liegenschaftsportfolio aus steuerlicher Sicht verantwortet. Er verfügt über mehr als 15 Jahre Erfahrungen in der Immobilien- und Baubesteuerung und ist Autor diverser Veröffentlichungen.
Prof. Dr. Roland Ismer
Universitätsprofessor, Universität Potsdam
Prof. Roland Ismer has held the Chair of Public Law and Tax Law at the University of Potsdam since 2024. Prior to that, he held the Chair of Tax Law and Public Law at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). He studied law and economics at the Universities of Konstanz, Geneva, and Munich, as well as at the London School of Economics. After completing his doctorate in tax law, he initially worked as a lawyer and tax advisor at a large American law firm in Munich before obtaining his habilitation at LMU Munich with a thesis on “Climate protection as a legal problem.”
His research focuses on international and European tax law and the intersection between (tax law) and economics. He is the editor of the Vogel-Lehner DBA Commentary.
Prof. Dr. Roland Ismer ist seit 2024 Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für öffentliches Recht und Steuerrecht an der Universität Potsdam. Zuvor hatte er den Lehrstuhl für Steuerrecht und Öffentliches Recht an der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) inne. Er studierte Rechtswissenschaften und Volkswirtschaftslehre an den Universitäten Konstanz, Genf und München sowie an der London School of Economics. Nach steuerrechtlicher Promotion war er zunächst als Rechtsanwalt und Steuerberater in einer amerikanischen Großkanzlei in München tätig, bevor er sich an der LMU München mit einer Arbeit zum Thema „Klimaschutz als Rechtsproblem“ habilitierte.
Seine Forschungsschwerpunkte liegen auf dem internationalen und europäischen Steuerrecht sowie dem Schnittfeld zwischen (Steuerrecht) und Ökonomik. Er ist Herausgeber des Vogel-Lehner-DBA-Kommentars.
Prof. Dr. Monika Jachmann-Michel
Presiding Judge at the Federal Fiscal Court, Federal Fiscal Court, MunichAfter starting her career at the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance, habilitation at the Faculty of Law at the University of Regensburg (1996, venia legendi for constitutional and administrative law, tax law and philosophy of law), followed by professorships at the Universities of Heidelberg and Jena, Director of the Seminar for Finance and Tax Law at the University of Hamburg; since 2005 Judge at the Federal Fiscal Court and since 2006 Honorary Professor at the LMU Munich; since April 2016 Chair of the VIII Senate responsible for capital assets. Senate responsible for capital assets. (Co-)editor of and contributor to several tax law journals/works.
Prof. Dr. Juliane Kokott, honorary doctorate
Advocate General at the Court of Justice
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kraft
Wirtschaftsprüfer/Steuerberate, Universitätsprofessor, Universität Halle
Abitur 1978; Berufsausbildung, Grundwehrdienst und Studium (1978-1986); wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Lehrstuhl für Öffentliches Recht und Steuerrecht an der Universität Mannheim (1986-1990); Promotion zum Dr. iur (1990); Bestellung zum Steuerberater (1991) und zum Wirtschaftsprüfer (1995); Mitarbeiter und International Tax Partner BigSix (1992-1998); Universitätsprofessor an der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (1998 bis heute); mehrjährige Auslandsaufenthalte in verschiedenen Staaten; diverse Herausgeberschaften von Fachkommentaren und zahlreiche Fachveröffentlichungen.
Karlheinz Konrad
Ministerialrat, Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs, MunichMr. Konrad studied law in Munich and Oxford. He has worked at the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs since 2001. At the same time, he has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Augsburg since 2010.
Dr. Kaido Künnapas
Sorainen Law Firm / TalTech Law School, Partner at Sorainen Law Firm, senior lecturer at TalTKaido is a tax partner and regional co-head of the tax department at Sorainen Law Firm. He is also a senior lecturer in tax law at TalTech Law School and a guest lecturer in tax law at the University of Tartu. As a board member of IFA Estonia, Kaido is responsible for organizing discussion events on tax topics attended by Estonian tax advisors, judges, government officials and other professionals.
Prof. Dr. Philipp Lamprecht
Goethe University, Frankfurt am MainBorn in Berlin in 1970, he studied law and economics in Bayreuth and law in Freiburg im Breisgau. After passing his first state examination in law in 1995, he completed his legal clerkship at Freiburg Regional Court. He obtained his doctorate in 2000 and habilitated in 2010 under Prof. Dr. Uwe Blaurock at the University of Freiburg. Following a management position at the Senate Department for Finance, Berlin, he has held a university professorship for tax law and civil law at Goethe University Frankfurt since 2016, focusing his research on partnership law and German and international tax law.
Wladimir Leonhard
Senior Manager, Universal Investment, Frankfurt am Main
Wladimir Leonhard ist Rechtsanwalt, Steuerberater, Fachanwalt für Steuerrecht sowie ukrainischer Diplom-Jurist. Er ist Senior Manager bei Universal-Investment-Gesellschaft mbH und verantwortlich für die steuerlichen Angelegenheiten der deutschen Infrastrukturfonds sowie ELTIFs während des gesamten Lebenszyklus (Gründung, Investitionsprozess, Haltedauer und Ausstieg). Er bringt eine umfassende Expertise im deutschen und internationalen Steuerrecht sowie die fondsspezifischen Fachkenntnisse im US- und luxemburgischen Steuerrecht.
Julia Leopold
Senior Steuerreferentin, DZ BANK AG, Frankfurt am Main
Rechtsanwältin und Steuerberaterin. Seit Oktober 2016 bei der DZ BANK AG tätig als Syndikussteuerberaterin, zuständig für die steuerliche Transaktionsberatung und Grunderwerbsteuer. Vorherige Tätigkeit als Rechtsanwältin und Steuerberaterin bei PwC im Bereich M&A Tax.
Scott Levine
Partner Tax, Baker & McKenzie LLP
Scott Levine is a U.S. tax partner with Baker & McKenzie LLP. He has nearly 30 years of experience advising multinational companies on both global tax policy and the tax aspects of corporate transactions, including cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs and other divestitures, restructurings, financings, and joint ventures. Prior to joining Baker & McKenzie in 2025, Mr. Levine most recently served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary (International Tax Affairs) in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he led the Office of Tax Policy’s work on international affairs, including international tax regulations, treaties, and the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS negotiations on Pillar 1 and Pillar 2.
Scott has been an adjunct professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, and the International Tax Center at Leiden University in the Netherlands for many years. He has frequently lectured and participated as a panelist at programs for the American Bar Association, DC Bar, Practising Law Institute, International Fiscal Association, Tax Executives Institute, and other organizations on a wide range of topics and policies. Scott is an active member of the ABA's Tax Section, where he currently serves as a Council member and has previously served as a Nominating Committee member and Chair of the Corporate Tax Committee. He is a former two-term member of the DC Bar Tax Section’s Steering Committee, Chair of the Section’s Corporate Tax Committee, founder and long-time chair of the annual DC Bar Tax Conference, and an inaugural recipient of the DC Bar Trailblazer Award.
Dr. Alexander Linn
Partner, Deloitte, MunichDr. Alexander Linn is Business Tax/International Tax Partner at Deloitte with a focus on international tax law, treaty law, European law and Pillar 2. He heads Deloitte's German Tax Technical Team, is editor of IStR, member of the executive committee of the Bavarian section of IfA as well as member of the tax committee and chairman of the working group on foreign tax law of IDW.
Sławomir Łuczak
Partner, attorney-at-law, Sołtysiński Kawecki & Szlęzak
His expertise covers tax, customs and foreign exchange law. Has extensive experience in international tax law. Represents clients in tax and customs cases before the authorities, and in proceedings before administrative courts. Advises on tax matters in restructuring and consolidation projects. A member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA), and the Association Europénne d'Etudes Juridiques et Fiscales (AEEJF). He is involved in the work of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) in Tax Law Commission.
Kevin Lüking
Head of Transfer Pricing, Continental AG, Hannover
Kevin Lüking is the Head of Transfer Pricing at Continental AG in Hanover. He has extensive expertise in a wide range of transfer pricing topics across the industry. Before joining Continental AG, he spent several years working at the headquarters of Volkswagen AG and as an advisor at PwC, also focusing on transfer pricing matters.
Prof. Guglielmo Maisto
Partner Founder, Maisto E AssociatiGuglielmo Maisto founded the law firm Maisto e Associati in 1991 and is Professor of International and Comparative Tax Law at the Università Cattolica di Piacenza. He is Global President of the International Fiscal Association (IFA) and a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (IBFD) in Amsterdam. He is also a member of the Practice Council of the International Tax Program of New York University (NYU) Law and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy. As a representative of the Italian Confederation of Industry (Confindustria), he participates in the Business Industry Advisory Committee of the OECD in Paris. He has also acted as an advisor to the Ministry for European Community Affairs and was a member of the EU Joint Transfer Pricing Forum. In 2023, he was appointed by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance to the Technical Committee for the implementation of the Italian tax reform. He is also one of the independent experts considered as members of the Advisory Commission under the EU Directive on tax dispute resolution mechanisms in the European Union. He is a member of several legal associations and the editorial board of various Italian and foreign tax law journals. He is also a regular speaker at various annual tax conferences.
Dr. Alexander Mann
Ministerialrat, Hessisches Ministerium der Finanzen
Dr. Alexander Mann leitet das Referat für Körperschaftsteuer, Gewerbesteuer, Umwandlungssteuer,
Gemeinnützigkeit sowie Internationales und Europäisches Steuerrecht im Hessischen Ministerium der Finanzen. Zuvor u.a. Tätigkeiten als Sachgebietsleiter für Betriebsprüfung Banken/Investmentfonds mit
Sonderzuständigkeit für die Aufarbeitung von Cum/Ex- und Cum/Cum-Gestaltungen, Referent für Grundsatzfragen und Steuerreform sowie als Rechtsanwalt. Schwerpunkte seiner Tätigkeit sind Fragen des Unternehmens- und Internationalen Steuerrechts.
Herr Dr. Mann ist Mitglied verschiedener wissenschaftlicher Beiräte und Herausgeber von Kommentaren zum AStG und InvStG.
Dr. Markus Märtens
Judge at the Federal Fiscal Court, Federal Fiscal Court, MunichDr. Markus Märtens has been a judge in the First Senate of the Federal Fiscal Court, which is responsible for corporate and international tax law, among other things, since August 2006. He previously worked as a lawyer and then (since 1996) in various positions in the civil justice system, from 1998 to 2001 as a research assistant at the Federal Court of Justice. He is the author of Gosch's commentary on the KStG, among others.
Parsa Marvi
SPD Member of the Bundestag, SPD parliamentary group
Parsa Marvi (born February 6, 1982) is an SPD Member of the Bundestag for the Karlsruhe-Stadt constituency. He has been Chairman of the Karlsruhe-Stadt SPD district association since 2012 and first entered the Bundestag in 2021. Marvi sits on the Finance Committee and the Committee for Digital Affairs for the SPD parliamentary group. His main policy areas are artificial intelligence (AI), digital currencies and digital payments, corporate taxes, global minimum taxation, double taxation agreements, digital infrastructure and mobile communications. Parsa Marvi is married and has two children.
Aurelio Massimiano
Partner, Maisto e Associati
Aurelio Massimiano was admitted to the Association of Chartered Accountants in 2002. He obtained an LL.M. Degree in International Tax Law at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. He joined Maisto e Associati in 2005 after having worked with the International Tax Office of the Italian Revenue Agency. He has become partner since 2014.
He often speaks at tax conferences and lectures on international tax matters for specialization courses at university level and for various other organizations. He is a member of the board of the Italian Branch of the International Fiscal Association (IFA).
His areas of expertise are international taxation and transfer pricing.
Prof. Dr. Gunter Mayr
Head of the Tax Department, Federal Ministry of Finance, ViennaProf. Dr. Gunter Mayr has been Head of the Tax Department (Tax Policy and Tax Law) at the Federal Ministry of Finance/Vienna since 2012 and is a professor at the University of Vienna (Juridicum). He was chairman of the Austrian Tax Reform Commission 2014, editor of the EStG commentary Doralt/Kirchmayr/Mayr/Zorn and the specialist journal "Recht der Wirtschaft - RdW", as well as editor of Doralt/Ruppe, Steuerrecht (Körperschaftsteuer, Umgründungen).
Dr. Aistė Medelienė
Attorney at Law, Tax Lawyer, Vilnius
Dr. Aiste Medeliene is leading tax expert in Lithuania. She has over 20 years of experience in tax advising, compliance, litigation, customs law and private wealth. Before moving to private practice and starting her activity as attorney-at-law, she was a Commissioner at the Commission on Tax Disputes under the Government of Lithuania, hearing tax disputes in a pre-trial stage. Her vast experience as both an arbiter and litigator, combined with a deep understanding of tax legislation and administration processes adds unique value for clients. Aiste in 2022 was re-appointed as the chair of Committee on Advocates' Activities Tax Environment at Lithuanian Bar Association. She is also a member of Tax Committee in the Lithuanian Business Confederation and a member of the Lithuanian Customs Practitioners Association. She was elected by the Government of Lithuania as one of the independent persons form Lithuania for the resolution of pan-EU disputes on double taxation.
Prof. Dr. Carsten Meinert
Universitätsprofessor und RiFG im zweiten Hauptamt, Universität Potsdam
Prof. Dr. Carsten Meinert ist seit 2023 Inhaber der Professur für Bürgerliches Recht, Unternehmens- und Steuerrecht an der Universität Potsdam sowie Richter am Finanzgericht Köln im zweiten Hauptamt. Nach dem zweiten Staatsexamen war er zunächst als Richter am Finanzgericht Köln tätig. Im Rahmen einer Abordnung an die Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn hat er sich 2022 habilitiert. Seine Forschungsschwerpunkte liegen im Bilanz- und Unternehmenssteuerrecht sowie im Gesellschaftsrecht und im Bürgerlichen Recht.Prof. Dr. Carsten Meinert ist seit 2023 Inhaber der Professur für Bürgerliches Recht, Unternehmens- und Steuerrecht an der Universität Potsdam sowie Richter am Finanzgericht Köln im zweiten Hauptamt. Nach dem zweiten Staatsexamen war er zunächst als Richter am Finanzgericht Köln tätig. Im Rahmen einer Abordnung an die Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn hat er sich 2022 habilitiert. Seine Forschungsschwerpunkte liegen im Bilanz- und Unternehmenssteuerrecht sowie im Gesellschaftsrecht und im Bürgerlichen Recht.
Koen Morbėe
Partner, Attorney at Law, Tiberghien, Brussels
Volker Nickel
Head of Group Tax, DZ BANK AG, Frankfurt am MainVolker Nickel is a tax consultant and heads the Group Tax department at DZ BANK AG. He is also active in various associations and commissions and as a speaker.
Harold Nyssens
Head of Unit DG COMP H-5 (Fiscal aid and aggressive tax planning), European Commission
Mr. Nyssens has extensive experience in European competition policy. Since 2021, he has been serving as the Head of Unit overseeing enforcement and policy development related to fiscal state aid and aggressive tax planning. Previously he held different management positions relating to state aid policy and human resources. From 2011 to 2014 Mr. Nyssens was a member of the cabinet of EU Commissioner Damanaki, in charge of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Before joining the EU Commission, he worked for five years as a référendaire (legal clerk) at the EU Court of Justice. He started his career as a lawyer with law firm Loeff Claeys Verbeke (now A&O Shearman).
Mr. Nyssens studied law at the universities of St. Louis (Brussels), Leuven, Edinburgh and Saarbrücken. In addition to his work at the European Commission, Mr. Nyssens was also a lecturer in European Competition Policy in various universities and master programmes such as MERNI (Bonn University, Master in Energy law), MEEL (Environment & Energy LLM programme, Leuven University) and the MBA Programme at the Saarbrücken University. Mr. Nyssens is fluent in French, English, German, Dutch and Italian.
Dr. Eva Oertel
Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs, MunichDr. Oertel currently works in the area of international tax law at the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs. From 2019 to 2020, she was seconded to the Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin with a focus on international tax policy. Prior to that, she held various positions at Bavarian tax offices, the Bavarian State Tax Office and the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs since joining the Bavarian tax authorities in 2009. She is co-editor of the specialist journal IWB and co-host of the podcast "TaxQuartett". She is also a lecturer at the University of Heidelberg and a member of the German Tax Law Society.
Prof. Dr. Christine Osterloh-Konrad
University Professor, Eberhard Karls University of TübingenChristine Osterloh-Konrad has held the Chair of Civil Law, Commercial and Corporate Law, Tax Law and Philosophy of Law at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen since 2018. She was previously a research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance in Munich. She is active in various national and international committees, including as Germany's representative on the Academic Committee of the European Association of Tax Law Professors
Helen Pahapill
Tax Policy Adviser, Ministry of Finance, TallinnHelen Pahapill (LLM, Leiden University) works for the Estonian Ministry of Finance as a Tax Policy Adviser. She has held several positions in the Tax Policy Department over the years and is now responsible for Estonian international and EU direct tax policy. She has been an Estonian tax treaty negotiator since 2001. She is also the Estonian delegate to the OECD CFA/IF and Working Party 1 on Tax Conventions and Related Questions as well as the EU High Level Working Party for Tax Questions.
Prof. Dr. Pasquale Pistone
Vienna University of Economomics, Wien
Annette Pogodda-Grünwald
Partnerin, BDO AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
Annette ist Leiterin des German Indirect Tax Centre of Excellence und des Branchen Center Real Estate in Deutschland. Darüber hinaus ist sie Mitglied des Indirect Tax Centre of Excellence Committee des internationalen BDO-Netzwerks und verantwortlich für den Bereich Tax Technology.
Seit mehr als 30 Jahren berät sie Unternehmen aller Größenordnungen und Rechtsformen.
Ihr Schwerpunkt liegt im Bereich der Umsatzsteuer, wobei ihre Expertise sich gleichermaßen auf nationale wie internationale Sachverhalte erstreckt.
Ferner ist Annette verantwortlich für die Projektierung und Durchführung von Inhouse-Workshops. Sie hält zahlreiche Vortragsveranstaltungen, die vor allem über aktuelle Umsatzsteuerthemen informieren.
Darüber hinaus koordiniert sie Tax Compliance Tätigkeiten sowie Due Diligence Prüfungen und arbeitet aktiv in mehreren Fachgremien, veröffentlicht regelmäßig in der einschlägigen Fachliteratur und ist ständige Autorin der Zeitschrift Mehrwertsteuerrecht.
Neben ihrer Tätigkeit bei BDO ist sie die Vorsitzende der VAT Working Group des IDW (Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer) sowie Mitglied im Vorstand des Umsatzsteuer-Forums.
Tim Power
Director, Business and International Tax, HM Treasury, HM Treasury
"Tim is Director for Business and International Tax in His Majesty's Treasury.
His directorate has responsibility for a broad range of domestic and international tax policy matters including transfer pricing, treaties, transparency, and the taxation of financial services.
Tim has been Chair of the OECD's Committee of Fiscal Affairs, and Co-Chair of the OECD Inclusive Framework, since Dec 2023, having previously chaired the OECD's Task Force for the Digital Economy."
Dr. Achim Pross
Deputy Director, OECD, ParisAchim Pross is Deputy Director within the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration (CTPA). In this role, he has overall responsibility for a number of key outputs including the Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters (Common Reporting Standard or CRS), the OECD's work to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy, many of the BEPS actions, as well as the work on tax administration and tax certainty and on countering tax crimes and other financial crimes.
Isabelle Rauh
Head of Tax Germany, Geographies, Sanofi
Isabelle Rauh ist Steuerberaterin und leitet seit 2021 die deutsche Steuerabteilung von Sanofi. Sie hat über 20 Jahre Erfahrung in der Pharma- bzw. Chemiebranche. Darüber hinaus ist sie Mitglied im Steuerausschuss des VCI und des BDI sowie als Referentin tätig.
Dr. Gabriele Rautenstrauch
Partner, WTS Tax AG
Seit 2018: WTS, Partner International Tax, München; Leitung der nationalen und internationalen Pillar Two Knowledge Group
2002 – 2018: KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Frankfurt und München
2006-2008 Entsendung zur DG TAXUD, Europäische Kommission, Brüssel
Fachliche Schwerpunkte:
Betreuung von weltweit tätigen deutschen Konzernen sowie US Inbound Konzernen; Branchen: Automotive, Energy,
Zahlreiche Projekte im Bereich Pillar Two, im Bereich des internationalen Steuerrechts (Betriebsstätten, Quellensteuern, AStG, BEPS), bei internationalen Umstrukturierungen
Leitung der Arbeitsgruppe Steuern beim DRSC
Zahlreiche Vortragstätigkeiten (Handelsblatt-/RuW-Konferenzen, Beck Seminare, Bundesfinanzakademie, Universitäten, IFA) sowie Veröffentlichungen zu Themen des internationalen Steuerrechts
Dr. Florian Regli
Area Tax Director, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AGDr. iur. HSG Florian Regli, Area Tax Director/Head of International Trade Affairs, Customs Regulations and Indirect Tax at F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (since 20014) as well as Vice Director/Senior Research Fellow and lecturer at the Institute of Law & Economics (ILE) and the University of St.Gallen (since 2000). Before joining Roche, he worked at Bär & Karrer AG and obtained the title of Certified Tax Expert in Switzerland in 2013. From 2009 to 2012, Florian Regli worked as a research assistant to Prof. Dr. Waldburger at the Institute of Finance, Tax Law and Law and Economics (IFF; now ILE) and received his doctorate from the University of St.Gallen in 2013. He originally holds a Master's degree in Accounting and Finance (MAccFin) and a Master's degree in Law (MLaw), both from the University of St.Gallen.
Prof. Dr. Ekkehart Reimer
Director of the Institute for Financial and Tax Law, University of HeidelbergAfter studying law in Heidelberg, Munich and Speyer, Prof. Dr. Ekkehart Reimer passed his state law examinations in 1996/98, obtained his doctorate in 2002 and habilitated at the LMU Munich in 2005. He has been Director of the Institute for Financial and Tax Law at the University of Heidelberg since 2006. Between 2009 and 2013, he was also a judge at the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg. His expertise is reflected in numerous publications on German, European and international tax law and the financial constitution.
André Reislhuber
Head of Group Corporate Governance, Vorwerk SE & Co. KG, WuppertalAndré Reislhuber, lawyer and tax consultant, is Head of Group Corporate Governance at Vorwerk SE & Co. KG. In this role, he is responsible for legal affairs, taxes, data protection, internal auditing and information security. Previously, he worked in consulting, the financial industry and the real economy with a focus on audit, law and tax. As a representative of the business community, he is a regular auditor at the joint audit office of the chambers of tax consultants and the author of numerous specialist articles and lectures on national and international group tax law issues.
Bettina Rodenberg
CVP Tax & Trade, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, DüsseldorfBettina Rodenberg heads the tax and customs department of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA. She has more than 20 years of experience as a lawyer and tax consultant. She is a board member of the Institute for Sustainability, Corporate Law and Reporting (INUR e.V.) and IFA West. She is also a member of the tax committee of the VCI and the BDI.
Christoph Rummel
Director, AXA Konzern AG, Cologne
Christoph L. Rummel, Dipl.-Kfm., Dipl.-Finw., M.A. and tax consultant, has been responsible for AXA's TAX division in Germany for many years. He is a member of the tax committee of the German Insurance Association and heads the commission on VAT, insurance tax and payroll tax.
Dr. Thomas Schänzle
Partner, Member of the Executive Management Board, WTS, Frankfurt
Dr. Thomas Schänzle is a business graduate, tax advisor and holds a doctorate in international tax law from the European Business School. He is a partner and member of the Executive Management Board at WTS and advises on complex issues of national and international tax law in restructuring, transaction-related tax structuring, sustainable strategic tax planning and tax audit defense.
Nancy Schanda
Managing Director, Head of Group Tax, Deutsche Börse AG
Syndikus-Rechtsanwältin, Dipl. Wirtschaftsjuristin, Syndikus-Steuerberaterin
Bruno Santiago
Lawyer, Morais Leitao
Law degree (University of Coimbra). LLM in Taxation (LSE)
Co-heads the tax department of Morais Leitão, one of the principal law firms acting in Portugal.
Over 20 years of experience. Regular presence in the tax courts in litigation cases related to income taxes, VAT, property taxes and stamp duty. Advises clients in various industries, with an important focus on private clients.
Dr. Matthias Scheifele
Partner, Hengeler Mueller, MunichDr. Matthias Scheifele is a lawyer and tax advisor. He advises on tax law primarily in M&A transactions, corporate restructurings and financing transactions. He has extensive experience in advising companies on tax law in crisis situations. He also specializes in tax compliance, tax audits and tax litigation.
Heike Schmidt
Head of Tax, UniCredit Bank GmbH, MunichHeike Schmidt is a qualified banker (Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt/M.), lawyer (law studies in Würzburg and Barcelona) and tax consultant. She initially worked for 12 years in consulting firms (KPMG and PwC) in the area of Tax Financial Services before switching to the corporate side in 2012. From 2012 to 2018 she was Head of Tax at Bayerische Landesbank and since 2018 she has been Head of Tax at Unicredit Bank GmbH (Hypovereinsbank).
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Schön
Managing Director, Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public FinanceProf. Dr. Dr. h. c. Wolfgang Schön is Director at the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance and Honorary Professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He was Chairman of the Academic Advisory Board of the DStJG, Chairman of the European Association of Tax Law Professors and Vice-Chairman of the Permanent Scientific Committee of the International Fiscal Association. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the IBFD and an International Research Fellow at the Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.
Matthias Schubert
GSAP, Global Head of TaxMatthias Schubert has been Global Head of Tax at SAP since September 2024. Previously, he was Global Head of Tax at Infineon Technologies since 2015. He began his professional career as a consultant in the areas of international tax law and M&A. He is a lawyer and tax advisor.
Tanja Schumacher
Senior Vice President Tax Brenntag Group, Brenntag SE
Tanja Schumacher ist seit 2014 bei der Brenntag SE in Essen beschäftigt. Sechs Jahre war sie zunächst für den Bereich Umsatzsteuer und Verbrauchsteuer verantwortlich. Im Jahre 2020 hat sie die Leitung des Bereiches Corporate Tax übernommen und verantwortet seit 2021 als Senior Vice President den globalen Bereich der Brenntag Tax Group. Als diplomierte Betriebswirtin und Steuerberaterin verfügt sie über 15 Jahre Berufserfahrung in der Beratung sowie in der Industrie. Im Jahr 2020 hat sie zudem die Qualifikation „Fachberaterin für Zölle und Verbrauchsteuern“ durch die Steuerberaterkammer Düsseldorf erlangt. Des Weiteren ist sie seit dem Jahr 2023 Mitglied des Steuerausschusses im Verband der Chemischen Industrie sowie seit 2024 im Vorstand der IFA Rhein Ruhr.
Prof. Dr. Roman Seer
University Professor, Ruhr University Bochum
After training in tax administration (Dipl.-Finanzwirt), studies, state examinations, doctorate and habilitation at the University of Cologne (Institute for Tax Law), Roman Seer has held the Bochum Chair of Tax Law since 1996 and has been Director of the Bochum Institute for Tax Law and Tax Enforcement (IStuS) since 2009. From 2006 to 2014, he was a member of the board of the German Tax Law Society (DStJG), including 5 years as its chairman. He has held guest professorships at foreign universities on European tax law and is Chairman of the Academic Committee and Board Member of the European Association of Tax Law Professors (EATLP). From 2012 to 2023, he was Chairman of the Berliner Steuergespräche e.V. Since 2012, he has chaired the Academic Working Group "Tax Law" of the German Academic Institute of Tax Consultants (DWS Institute).
Gunther Sennlaub
Head of Division, BZSt
From 2015 initially employed as a consultant in the tax departments of the Federal Central Tax Office in Bonn and since November 2022 Head of Division responsible for relief from German capital gains tax, in particular on the basis of Section 50c EStG.
James Somerville
A&L Goodbody, PartnerJames Somerville is a partner in the tax department of A&L Goodbody LLP in Dublin. He advises on all areas of tax law, with a particular focus on financial services and real estate related tax. This includes structured finance transactions, capital markets issues, investment funds, mergers and acquisitions, group restructurings and real estate acquisition and management structures.
He is admitted as a Solicitor in both Ireland and England and Wales and is also a Chartered Tax Advisor.
He currently chairs TALC, the central body for exchanges between Irish tax advisers and the Irish Revenue Commissioners. He has previously chaired the Irish Law Society's Taxation Committee and the Foreign Lawyers Forum of the Taxation Section of the American Bar Association.
He regularly publishes articles in legal and tax law journals and speaks at conferences and seminars on Irish and international tax law.
Dr. Henrik Sundheimer
Partner, Grant Thornton AG
Dr. Henrik Sundheimer ist Partner im Bereich Tax und auf die nationale und internationale steuerliche Beratung von in- und ausländischen Unternehmen unterschiedlicher Rechtsformen spezialisiert. Sein Branchenschwerpunkt liegt im Bereich Real Estate. Hier berät er Unternehmen mit den Assetklassen Retail, Residential, Office und Hospitality in allen Lebensphasen einer Immobilie.
Werner Stuffer
Vice President / Head of Corporate Tax, ZF Friedrichshafen AG
He has headed the Corporate Tax department at ZF Friedrichshafen since 2015. After training with the Bavarian. After training with the Bavarian tax authorities, tax auditor, lecturer at the Bavarian Civil Service University, he held management positions at Siemens in Germany/USA and as a big4 partner in Munich/São Paulo. He is Vice Chair of the BIAC Tax Committee, Deputy Chairman of the VDA and a member of the Board of the BDI Tax Committee.
Markus Taubel
Head of Tax, DekaBank, Frankfurt am MainMarkus Taubel - Dipl.-Kfm., Dipl.-Jur. and StB - has been Head of Tax at DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale AöR, Frankfurt am Main, since 2005 and is responsible for all tax matters relating to the companies of the Deka Group. He is also involved in various associations, including since 2018 as Deputy Chairman of the Tax Committee at BSW (Bundesverband für strukturierte Wertpapiere, formerly DDV - Deutscher Derivate Verband) and since 2020 also as Chairman of the Tax Law Commission of VÖB (Bundesverband öffentlicher Banken Deutschlands).
Werner Thumbs
Management Company, tax consultantWerner Thumbs has headed the tax department of an asset management company since April 2013. In this role, he deals in particular with tax issues for partnerships and their shareholders, who are also affected by operational group issues. He holds a degree in business administration and tax consultancy and has worked in auditing, an industry association and industry with a strong international focus. He is active in various associations, including as a member of the tax committee of the DIHK, the BDI and the Familienunternehmern. He is also chairman of the AWV working group on transfer pricing
Andreas Trost
Partner, Cuatrecasas Barcelona
Andreas Trost is a solicitor and partner at Cuatrecasas, where he has been practising Spanish tax law since 1995, with a particular focus on international and EU law issues. He specialises in advising investment companies and private equity funds, assisting them with transactions as well as structuring and remuneration issues and withholding tax matters. A large proportion of his clients come from German-speaking countries.
Dr. Joost van Helvoirt
Partner, Loyens & Loeff
He focuses on cross-border investments and business activities between Germany and the Netherlands. He advises many Dutch and German (listed) corporates and has a focus on tax incentives for innovation and limitations on interest deduction. Joost also heads the Region Team Germany; from 2006 through 2008 he worked at Loyens & Loeff's Frankfurt office.
Anette Wagner
Ministerialdirektorin, Leiterin der Steuerabteilung, Bundesministerium der Finanzen
Seit Juli 2025 leitet Anette Wagner die Steuerabteilung im Bundesministerium der Finanzen und ist zudem in Vorstands- und Beiratsfunktionen tätig. Zuvor war sie von 2015 bis 2025 Leiterin der Steuerabteilung im Ministerium der Finanzen des Landes Brandenburg und von 2014 bis 2025 Vorsitzende der Prüfungskommission für die Steuerberaterprüfung. Davor leitete sie von 2006 bis 2015 das Referat Steuerpolitik und Grundsatzfragen und hatte einen Lehrauftrag an der Universität Potsdam. Ihre Laufbahn begann sie nach dem Jurastudium und Referendariat in der Steuerverwaltung Brandenburgs.
Dr. Christoph Wäger
Board of Directors, RiBFH
Stefan Werner
IT auditor, Stefan Werner
Dipl.-FinWirt (FH) Stefan Werner works in the central large and group audit department of the state of Brandenburg. He is an IT auditor with a focus on data analysis and visualization of electronic mass data. He is also a lecturer for tax auditors and department heads in the state for data access, summary risk assessment, data analysis and data visualization of financial accounting and upstream systems with the programs IDEA, Microsoft Excel and Power BI. He also works as a guest lecturer in other federal states and at the Federal Finance Academy.
Christian Wimpissinger
Partner, Binder Grösswang
Christian Wimpissinger is a partner in Binder Grösswang's tax team and has more than 20 years of experience in advising on cross-border acquisitions and restructurings as well as international tax and accounting law.
He began his career at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York before joining Binder Grösswang in 2007. He received his doctorate from the University of Vienna in 2006 and his postgraduate degree from NYU in 2001. Christian is admitted to the bar in Austria and New York.
Dr. Daniel Zöller
Partner, RSM Ebner Stolz, StuttgartDr. Daniel Zöller, tax advisor, is a partner at RSM Ebner Stolz in Stuttgart. His practice focuses on advising medium-sized companies with cross-border operations and their shareholders, in particular in the areas of structuring advice, global minimum tax (Pillar II) and support during challenging tax audits. Previously, he worked for several years in the policy department of a Big4 company. He is the author of numerous specialist publications and is a regular speaker at events.