Jan Biering has taken over the operational management of the VLB Research Institute for Beer and Beverage Production (FIBGP). He succeeds Dr. Roland Pahl, who had been head of the FIBGP for more than six years and joined VLB 18 years ago. Dr. Pahl leaves at the end of January at his own request to take over the position of beer market manager at Pall Corporation.
"After many years at VLB, it was time for me to move on and take the next step,” said Dr. Pahl. “However, I am very pleased that staying in contact with universities and research institutions is also part of my future job profile. Thus, I can continue my teaching activities here in Berlin. Pall has given me the appropriate approval."
Part of Pahl‘s area of responsibility was the VLB Testing Laboratory for Packaging, where all types of packaging products for the brewing and beverage industry are tested since 1972. In addition, teaching activities were a particular focus of his work. For many years, he was lecturing the course Brewing and Beverage Technology at the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin). In addition, he passed on his extensive expertise in various course formats of the VLB, for example in the Certified Brewmaster Course or the German Master Course for Brewers.
On February 1, 2021, Jan Biering started his new job at the FIBGP, which also includes personnel management and budget responsibility.
The trained and studied brewer - born 1976 in Hildburghausen, Germany - began his professional career with an apprenticeship as a brewer and maltster at the Kulmbacher Brauerei Aktien-Gesellschaft. He graduated from Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) with an engineering degree in biotechnology specializing in brewing. In 2003, he moved back to Thuringia, where he led the business of Schlossbrauerei Schwarzbach as operations manager until 2011.
In 2012, Biering returned to Berlin, where he started as research assistant, lecturer and consultant, especially in the international environment of the VLB Berlin. Since 2019, he has been deputy head of FIBGP.
The overall responsibility for the research institute has been taken over by VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine on an interim basis. “There have been some personnel changes at VLB in the past few months, to which we reacted at short notice. With Jan Biering, we have been able to win a competent and committed employee from our staff to manage the operational business of FIBGP. Before we make further personnel decisions, we want to wait and see how the pandemic situation will develop in the up-coming months,” said Fontaine.
