Thilo Köppe

He co-chairs the Membership Committee and is involved in many activities at Rotary Club of Shanghai: Thilo Köppe. Pagoda portraits the person behind the office.

When did you join RCS and who was your sponsor?

I joined the Rotary Club of Giessen, Germany, back in 2009. My sponsor was Dr. Kotzur, CEO of the Schunk Group at that time.

Where are you hailing from?

Munich, Germany

What are you doing professionally?

Since mid of 2015, I have been running the operations of HUBER+SUHNER in North Asia. We are a Swiss enterprise focusing on R&D and production of high-tech connectivity solutions in the area of communication, transportation and industrial applications. E.g. most of your WeChat and 4G/5G communication runs through our products, high-speed train signaling as well as super-fast charging of electric cars is enabled by us, …

What would you like to share with our readers about your family?

As a Rotarian couple we have been working early on getting our daughter Emma exposed to the Rotarian flavors, what she seems to increasingly enjoy ;-). She loves men with beard like David.

What are your hobbies, apart from RCS?

On the sporty side, I am into daily exercising, occasional diving and seasonal skiing. Apart from that, I love to stimulate what is left of my creative genes (being a German engineer) using my Mac for editorial work, presentations, lectures, … . As a family we love to stroll around, challenge each other on all different topics and harmonize again over some simple cooking.

How do you recharge your battery?

Running the inclusion factory in Taicang as a Chairman provides me with an amazing source of energy. Seeing our staff there gaining self-confidence and enjoying their increasing contribution to the society is simply amazing. Wish some of our RCS members could be inspired and join in as well.

Best/Last book you read and why

Currently reading Zero by Marc Elsberg…a fiction on social media and its impact on people being shockingly close to what’s already possible today.

What is your favorite place in Shanghai?

Love to reside in the FFC, dine at El Willy, have coffee & cake at The Room and enjoy a relaxing TGIF drink at The Roof @Shanghai Edition with my wife.

What is your advice to any new member of RCS?

Get involved, reserve some dedicated time per week (apart from the RCS meetings) to support Rotary…would be great to have that becoming a part of your weekly routine. Think about what skills/experiences/connections we are missing at RCS in order to be more impactful… and recommend people you know who have the potential to fill those gaps.