Leadership BDSV Expands Executive Management With Elisabeth Hauschild

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The BDSV is strengthening its executive management with Dr. Elisabeth Hauschild, who will take over as the association’s chief executive from Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien in November 2026.

The German Association of Security and Defence Industries (BDSV) announces that its executive management is being expanded as of today, September 1, 2026, to include Dr. Elisabeth Hauschild. At the end of the upcoming BDSV General Assembly on November 12, 2026, Dr. Hauschild will take over the association’s chief executive position from Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, who will step down from this role after more than nine years.

Dr. Hauschild previously represented the Nuremberg-based Diehl Group in Berlin and Brussels for more than twenty years, most recently as General Representative for External Relations. She has therefore been familiar with the issues affecting the security and defence industry for many years.

The current Chief Executive Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, who was one of the association’s co-founders and, before taking on his role as Chief Executive, served on the BDSV Executive Board as Vice President and ultimately as President, welcomes the reinforcement of the executive management: “With Elisabeth Hauschild, we have found a successor for the chief executive position of our association who promises continuity, expertise and, at the same time, new impetus in a challenging period. Not least because of her experience with the Bundeswehr combined with her many years of industry background, Elisabeth Hauschild brings outstanding expertise, which she will now contribute in the interests of all more than 620 member companies of our association.”

In her welcoming remarks, Elisabeth Hauschild said she was proud to join the BDSV executive management after almost 22 years at Diehl, where she most recently served as General Representative for External Relations and Policy. As she prepares to take over as Chief Executive from Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien on November 12, she said her focus will be on representing and strengthening the interests of the entire security and defence industry.

At stake is nothing less than strengthening our defence and deterrencecapabilities—those of Germany, the European Union, and NATO.

Dr. Elisabeth Hauschild

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, she noted, has highlighted the importance of defence and deterrence capabilities and has contributed to a major transformation of the industry, with companies from previously purely civilian sectors joining the sector. Hauschild said this combination of new momentum and established expertise should be harnessed to strengthen defence capabilities, adding that she looks forward to close cooperation and dialogue with BDSV members and partners.

The current Chief Executive Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, who will remain in office until November, will turn to new assignments as a consultant from January 2027 after his contract with the BDSV ends.