Director, Shark Savers

Sascha Simon is the head of Advanced Product Planning at Mercedes-Benz USA. In that capacity, he focuses development efforts on sustainable transportation and next generation drive train technology. His responsibilities incude Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology, Electric Drive, alternative fuel efforts, and the wider range of connected vehicle services.

He has held various positions in the field of advanced technologies with Mercedes-Benz USA since 2003. He initially joined Daimler-Benz Aerospace in Munich, Germany in 1997 and has since held several positions in the European Aerospace industry ranging from areas as Corporate Planning & Technology to Jet Engines and Advanced Space Systems.

Sascha has a strong interest in outer space exploration that is well balanced by his interest in the oceans. After all, scuba diving comes as close to outer space exploration as most of us will ever get to flying in space. He has been an avid scuba diver since college with a strong and enduring interest in reef ecology and conservation.

Sascha has repeatedly conducted and supported coral reef assessment field trips in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean using reef check and other methodologies. Being certified in Munich, Germany he knows all Bavarian lakes from below the surface but prefers warm coral reef diving. Besides, there are no sharks in Bavarian lakes.

Sascha holds various degrees in physics and business administration from the Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany and from the University of California, Los Angeles. Sascha is married and has two children age 4 and 6.