Dr. Penz joined Trotec in 1998, starting as a manager in the company's laser research & development division, and rising rapidly through the ranks to project leader, where he played a key role in planning worldwide corporate strategy. In 2001, Dr. Penz was appointed to his current position as CEO of Trotec. He is responsible for guiding the company's strategic direction and overseeing its global sales and marketing operations. Dr. Penz is a recognized expert in laser technology, with an extensive theoretical and practical background in the field. He spent more than six years as a researcher at the Technical University's Institute for Laser Building (ILB) in Vienna, Austria, where he managed numerous industry and government research projects. He also has a PhD in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Vienna, and wrote his dissertation on the topic of laser ablation.