Claus A. Petersen retiring from Semikron Danfoss and has joined the Board of Directors; Dominic Dorfner named new President

Dominic Dorfner, Senior Vice President of the Automotive Division in Semikron Danfoss, will take over as President, when Claus A. Petersen retires on August 31, after 40 years in the Danfoss Group - the last 26 years leading Danfoss Silicon Power and Semikron Danfoss. 

Dominic Dorfner has been named new President of Semikron Danfoss – a leading global manufacturer of power electronics based in Germany and part of the Danfoss Group. Dominic Dorfner joined Semikron Danfoss in 2021 as Head of the Industry Business in Danfoss Silicon Power. For the past 13 months he has been leading the Automotive Division in Semikron Danfoss.

Chairman of the Semikron Danfoss Board, Danfoss Power Electronics and Drives Segment president Mika Kulju says:

“The Board of Directors for Semikron Danfoss are very pleased that Dominic Dorfner has accepted the role as President. It is an important continuation of the work that has been done in Semikron Danfoss since the company was established two years ago with the merger of Danfoss Silicon Power and SEMIKRON. We are very excited to be working with him to continue the growth and realizing the huge potential for Semikron Danfoss in energy efficiency, in electrification, and in green energy.”

Replacing an industry legend

Dominic Dorfner is taking over for Claus A. Petersen – a renowned name in the power electronics industry.

Claus A. Petersen has been with Danfoss for more than 40 years. He was named President of Semikron Danfoss when the merger was finalized in 2022. Before the merger he was leading Danfoss Silicon Power, a position he has held since the company was established in Schleswig-Holstein in 1998 with, at that time only around 20 employees. Today, Semikron Danfoss has around 4,000 global employees and annual sales over EUR 1 billion.

Though now retiring as company President, Claus A. Petersen is not completely leaving Semikron Danfoss, as he has joined the Board of Directors.

“We are fully committed to the ambitions and the strategy for Semikron Danfoss that has been developed under Claus’ leadership. I want to extend a big thank you to him, both for what he has accomplished, and for accepting to join the Board. This will ensure a very smooth and proficient transition,” says Mika Kulju, and continues: “Dominic Dorfner has big shoes to fill, but he has all the needed qualities to do so, and strong teams around him.”

Never been more relevant

Efficient power electronics are vital for decarbonization. Yet another reason why the new President of Semikron Danfoss is really excited about the challenge ahead.

Says Dominic Dorfner:

“Our purpose is to enable a huge transformation towards a CO2 neutral world for us and our kids. To do so, we need extensive electrification, we need green energy, and we need to save energy much more through energy efficiency. All that needs power electronics with the best power modules and systems out there. We can provide that, and I can’t think of a better reason to wake up early and go to work.”

First day in the new role for Dominic Dorfner will be September 1, 2024.

About Semikron Danfoss:

Semikron Danfoss is a family-owned business, merged by SEMIKRON and Danfoss Silicon Power in 2022. As a joint venture, with Danfoss A/S in Denmark as the majority owner, Semikron Danfoss is a part of the Danfoss Group.

We employ around 4,000 people across the world. Our global footprint with production sites in Germany, Brazil, China, France, India, Italy, Slovakia, and the United States ensures an unmatched service for our customers and partners. We offer more than 90 years of combined expertise in power module packaging, innovation, and customer applications – making us the ultimate partner in power electronics.

We take care of our employees and create value for our customers by investing significantly in innovation, technology, capacity, and service to deliver best-in-industry performance for a sustainable future.