What values or principles were particularly important to you in terms of leadership? Do you have any tips for the next generation of managers?
It was always important to me to be a role model and not to lose my feet on the ground. Especially in the initial phase of DTS, the tasks were often completely new to me. They often took a lot of hard work to complete and I was never too proud of any task. My sense of proportion and my principles always helped me. For me, these include above all decency, modesty and humility, but also hard work, empathy and team spirit. There will be many challenges for managers in the future. My tip: encourage your team and cooperation within the company. Be a role model yourself.
Is there any piece of advice that you yourself received at the beginning of your career that is still important to you?
Yes, I still remember one very well. At the time, my former boss said to me: “Be adaptable, there will be so many changes in your professional life. It's important to be flexible and adapt to new developments. And he was absolutely right. In my years at DTS, there were many developments and challenges and ultimately I “mutated” from engineer to Head of Finance. Flexibility is still important to me today.
How has your role as CFO changed over the years?
Actually, finance is not my core competence. I'm an engineer and have always been passionate about technology. That was also the case when I started at DTS. I was fascinated by technology and didn't really want to leave the field. However, when MBB joined, no one else offered to take over the finance department, so I saw it as a challenge and got involved. It was difficult at first, because I was sitting opposite absolute finance professionals. But together we always managed to achieve a good result.
However, the tasks have become increasingly complex and I am delighted that we have Torben Strauß, a trained finance expert, for this position.
It's a question you're sure to be asked a lot now, but one that everyone is naturally interested in: What are your plans for your retirement?
Yes, surprisingly many people are interested in that. I don't have a master plan. I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time with my family, especially with our grandchild, and we'll certainly be on the road and traveling a lot more than before. And if I get bored at home, my wife will certainly have something to counteract that.
You experience a lot in around 40 years of professional experience. Which moment in your career was particularly formative?
I don't think there is one moment. There is the technical side of me that gave me some great moments, especially in the early years of IT. Back then, it was still called IT and computers were still big, expensive and only accessible to a few people. Today, we have smartphones in our pockets and can access all of humanity's knowledge at the tap of a finger. In between, there are countless technical highlights that I can't even list here. On the other hand, there are the personal experiences. The first few years at DTS were particularly formative for me. The teamwork, the cohesion, the fun at work and the trust in each other have left a lasting impression on me. There was no one moment that changed everything for me. Everything was a development and resulted from the things that came before.
Is there an anecdote you can tell us from your long time at DTS?
I'm really bad at telling anecdotes. I've certainly experienced a few, but I've forgotten them straight away. (laughs)
And what was the biggest challenge? In no company is it always just peace and happiness.
Every stage of the company's development had its challenges. It is difficult to say which one was the biggest and is certainly in the eye of the beholder. We certainly faced a lot of new challenges when MBB joined us. But the establishment of new companies or the integration of acquired companies was also a major technical challenge. Münster and Greece are positive examples, although of course there were also ideas that unfortunately did not offer sufficient prospects for the future. But failure is also part of the process - unfortunately, we don't have a magic wand for success.
DTS is growing and growing. In your opinion, what is the greatest strength of our company?
Yes, with our topics and especially with IT security, we have occupied a topic that also offers huge potential for development in the future. We are therefore already well positioned. I see our corporate culture as a great strength. It is geared towards cooperation and mutual support. All other strengths can be derived from this, such as innovative spirit, employee satisfaction and loyalty to the company. And that is very important to me.
What message would you give to the entire team if you had to formulate a final piece of advice or a vision?
We have to see ourselves as a team, no matter where we are or who we are. We must never stop being curious, we must constantly renew ourselves and surprise our customers with new products and services. Then we will continue to be successful and leave our competitors behind.