Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
What are my vision and my key driver for success? My vision is a permanent learning organization with a relentless pursuit of perfection. And one big thing I have learned, it’s not machines and equipment or even engineering skills, which leads to the final advantage over our competitor. Machines and equipment they will also buy or develop sooner or later, it is the whole process and then it’s our people and our organization. The whole process chain or value chain needs to be challenged and also there it’s most to deal with the people to convince and motivate them to implement improvements and find even more. This is then a cultural change. Then it is a leadership to create an open minded culture where everybody is focused on the same long term vision and short term reachable targets. What is a lean thinking organization? Lean is the permanent motivation for excellence. You are not lean, when you install a Kanban board. You are lean when you use it, as a tool for optimization and reduce your Kanban cards over the time. When you through away the last card, then you are a step ahead to lean as then you are closer to a one-piece flow. This is KATA thinking, which helped me in the last 15 years to understand more and more the philosophy of a lot of successful companies and what means lean thinking in reality. Its problem solving on a daily basis with all suitable tools from 5Why to Six Sigma and as most important part the coaching of your team. This includes a top down strategy and target communication and a corresponding bottom up visualization. Its leadership and it’s also great to see how it works when an organization starts to gain speed in changing their minds! And finally, it’s all about business success and increasing the bottom down result!
COO of Matikon and Matikon Trim – advancing innovation, performance, and competitiveness through industrial excellence, advanced trim surface solutions, and innovative kinematics, powered by a high-performing global team. In this role, I will oversee all global plant operations and provide functional leadership for Quality and Industrialization. With a career spanning leading automotive suppliers – from Dynamit Nobel Plastics (now OP Mobility) and Magna to Dura Automotive, and most recently as Managing Director at Axalta – I bring broad international experience in leadership, transformation, and operational excellence. Working closely with the team to shape the next steps of our journey here at Matikon!
Geschäftsführer und Werkleiter Wuppertal der Axalta Coating Systems Verwaltungs GmbH
Axalta is a global coatings company focused on providing customers with innovative, colorful and sustainable solutions. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, Axalta continues to find ways to serve more than 100,000 customers with the finest coatings, application systems and technology.
Responsible - Structures - Exteriors (Metal & Plastics Trim) - Control Systems & Electronics
- Site Director Siegburg & Director SCM Packaging - Director Supply Chain Management incl. Operations - Member of the EMEA Management Team Siegwerk is an international world-leading independent ink manufacturer. With passion, Siegwerkers develop individual ink solutions together with their customers. Tradition, Proximity and Reliability are our core values.
- General Manager of the Magna Exteriors & Interiors Plant Obertshausen - Managing Director of the Decoma Exterior Systems GmbH with the Plants Obertshausen, Klein Krotzenburg, Kandel, Heilbronn and Bremen - Technologies: Injection Molding, Painting and JIT Assembly - 1200 Employees
- General operational responsibility for the planning and product integration (technology) for the new plant Magna Kaluga, Russia. 1st step start of production 2009, 2nd step start of production 2010 - Greenfield planning including ramp up and approval in just 23 month after nomination from VW - Planning and realization of the total technology investment - Steering of whole team and operational responsibility - Human resources planning - General responsibility for the budget and bussinessplan - Regular project reporting to the presidents according to standardized systems - Frequent stays in Russia. Since Januar 2010 permanent. 2011 for 50%. - Since September 2011 new Project in Romania - Ramp up a new Plant for Magna in Craiova, Romania. - General Manager until local General Manager was found
Technology Exchange Programms, Launch & Programm Management. Implementation of Standards and Lean Manufacturing. Focus: Financial and operational planning & launch of new Plants (Greenfield & Brownfield)