Can you summarize your career?
I started my business career with an apprenticeship as an Industrial Clerk. Shortly after, I obtained a scholarship for one year in the exchange program of the US Congress and the German Bundestag. Within this program, I spent 3 months in a college in Oklahoma. Being back from the US, I made my Abitur and studied Business Management at the university and graduated with a MBA. Over a period of 10 years, I worked for two different dairy companies, first as an Export Manager and later on as Export Director.
In 2005, I joined SGD Kipfenberg as a Sales Manager where I was mainly responsible for products from our local plant which I sold on the German and Austrian markets. Two years later, I became also the KAM for Bayer, Novartis and Baxter.
Since 2012 I have been the Sales and Supply Chain Director for the German plant as well as a member of the local board of Directors of SGD Pharma Kipfenberg.
Can you describe your role in a little more detail?
As the Sales Director for the DACH zone (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) I work with a team of 6 persons in Sales and Marketing. We cover about 120 customers with a turnover of approx. 52 M. € Together with our GM, Bernd Schulda, who held my function until 2012, we manage 8 Key Accounts of SGD Pharma. Bernd is responsible for 3 accounts and 5 are in my portfolio. An additional 2 Key Account customers are managed within my team. Additionally, I cover Marketing activities together with Ruth Hase. Concerning my Supply Chain team, we are made up of 14 people and are broken down in 3 different divisions (production planning, warehousing and shipping department).
With the responsibility for sales and supply chain, I hold a very unique position within SGD. I like to work in both sectors, but I have to admit that during my professional live so far, my main focus was always the sales.
Are there any achievements that you are particularly proud of since you joined SGD Pharma?
If I look at all the positive results we have achieved all together, it would not be fair to pick out a particular one and put it on top. All in all, I have never regretted to join the teams of SGD Pharma.
Is there something in particular that you enjoy about your work environment and that you would like to share?
I like to work with my teams and all other colleagues of SGD Pharma. We are all working together in a very cooperative spirit, which I have never experienced with any of my former companies. If we look at all the success stories that we reached over the last decades, I think the great advantage of our plant is the knowhow of our people in all different areas.
We not only have a very good relationship within the company, but we also keep close contacts with our customers. In the annual rating by our clients, we regularly achieve top results. I’m very proud to lead such a successful a team.
