Team
Management
Dirk Vollenbroich, PhD
Managing Director and Founder
Dr Dirk Vollenbroich studied biotechnology at the Beuth University and acquired a doctorate in biochemistry from the Technical University of Berlin. He gained invaluable experience within the field of molecular diagnostics during his research work at the Robert Koch Institute and at the Louisiana State University Medical Center. He leads the company since its inception in 1999.
Elias Vollenbroich B.A.
Managing Director
Elias Vollenbroich graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business psychology from the SRH University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and worked as a recruiter for a technology company. Since April 2023, he is working for Minerva Biolabs GmbH as a managing director. In addition, he is currently studying for a Master's degree in Business Management with a focus on organization, human resources and leadership at the IOM Steinbeis University in Berlin.
Nicole Paland, PhD
Head of Product Development
Dr Nicole Paland studied biochemistry at University of Potsdam and University College London and earned her doctorate at Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin. As a postdoc at Weizmann Institute of Science and Technion in Israel, she studied the microenvironment of human cells and the influence of immunological messengers on the initiation and progression of certain diseases.
As project manager in product development since 2021, she became head of product development in September 2022.
Nico Ruf, PhD
Head of Production
Dr Nico Ruf graduated in biotechnology at the TU Berlin. He received his PhD in molecular genetics and gained substantial expertise in DNA and RNA based analyses. He did his postdoc in the Laboratory of Developmental Genetics and Imprinting at the renowned Babraham Institute in Cambridge, UK.
In 2012, he changed from academia to biotech industry, where he worked as laboratory director for a service provider of molecular genetic analyses. Dr. Ruf joined Minerva Biolabs in October 2014.
Julia Hillebrand
Head of Marketing and Sales
Julia Hillebrand acquired her professional qualifications through education as a biological-technical assistant at the Lette-Verein in Berlin and years of collaboration in the production and quality control department in our company. After studying business administrations Julia became responsible for the management of our national and international partners in 2013. Since 2015, as Head of Marketing and Sales, she has also been the first contact person for all enquiries in this department.
Gaëlle Combeau-Knopp, PhD
Head of Quality Control
Dr Gaëlle Combeau-Knopp studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Canada and France and obtained her PhD in Cellular Biology from University Paris XI. She completed her academic education with a post-doc in Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, in the department of Cell and Molecular Biology. In 2016, she left academia and started a career as manager for a startup company in Berlin. She is working at Minerva Biolabs since September 2017 and became Head of Quality Control in January 2021.
Laiali Abdel-Nabi
Head of Quality Management
Laiali Abdel-Nabi studied biotechnology at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. After her studies, she worked as a research assistant at Charité and was intensively involved in the development of a non-invasive prenatal test for trisomy 21 and gained her first experience in the field of quality management. In 2019, she took over the position of quality manager at a pharmaceutical company in Berlin. Since November 2022 she is the quality management representative of Minerva Biolabs GmbH.
Torsten Weber
Head of Finance
Torsten Weber trained as a tax and business consultant and has more than 20 years of professional experience in a tax office, where he last worked in a managerial position. During this time, he looked after a large number of clients from different sectors and of different sizes. He has been Head of Finance at Minerva Biolabs GmbH since December 2021. In December 2023, he completed further training to become a Bachelor Professional in Balance Sheet Accounting at IHK Berlin.
Teams
Development
With pleasure in optimising, creative thinking and problem solving, our development team implements cutting-edge detection and elimination strategies for contamination control. In doing so, relevant technologies and methods are identified and evaluated, and products are validated and optimised to ensure high quality and reproducibility, while consistently complying with all regulatory standards.
Production
Effectively productive: Our production team ensures the flawless manufacture of high-quality detection and elimination products for contamination control. It scales new products, supports the smooth procurement of materials and constantly optimises individual production processes, while correctly complying with all regulatory requirements.
Marketing & Sales
With passion, know-how and customer needs in mind, our marketing and sales team generates creative concepts to strengthen the Minerva Biolabs brand, appeal to customers in a convincing way and boost sales.
Logistics
From raw material sourcing to product delivery to customers: Our logistics team efficiently manages the warehouse, organises on-time shipping and coordinates all international deliveries, including customs compliance.