Prof. Dr. Benedikt Maier, born in 1987, has held a professorship for Automotive Distribution and Sales at the University of Applied Sciences since October 2020. He is also responsible for numerous research activities in his role as Deputy Director of the Institute of Automotive Economics. He is also responsible for coordinating the part-time study programs at the ifa automotive business school and is responsible for various consulting mandates as a partner in ifa management GmbH. He is the author and co-author of a number of publications on the challenges faced at various levels of the value chain in the automotive industry.

Maier is Managing Director of Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0 - the innovation lab for the automotive industry. Maier is also a member of various committees and bodies of the Automotive Industry Transformation Council in Baden-Württemberg. Maier acquired his expertise during his approximately seven years working for companies with a focus on automotive industry analysis and consulting. Benedikt Maier completed a part-time doctorate at the University of Hohenheim. His dissertation focuses on future structures in automotive sales.