How did you join Henkel?
I studied business economics and, after graduating, I saw a newspaper ad in which Henkel was looking for new employees. The corporation was looking for SAP people interested in bridging the gap between classic IT and business. This new role, along with the company’s excellent reputation, was the decisive factor behind my application.

What jobs have you done in the course of your career with Henkel?
First I started in IT Key Account Management so I knew how to manage a project portfolio and the IT budget for the Adhesives division. After about a year I moved into a task force which was then called “HENSAP”. Their brief was the world-wide standardisation of SAP and processes. In parallel I got my first experience as Project Manager for SAP introductions in Surface Technologies division. After about two years with Henkel I received an offer to go to USA.  In September 1997 I moved to Detroit where I worked on an SAP feasibility study. After just short of a year I went on to Cincinnati where I became Project Manager in charge of implementing today’s Cognis locations. My deployment went on till the end of 1999, when I returned to Düsseldorf.   There I joined the IT Key Account Management for Detergent, and have since then I’ve taken on more and more new responsibilities. Today I have overall responsibility for IT world-wide for Detergents and Cosmetics, and regional and operational responsibility for the Middle East. In addition I am responsible for Innovation Management for the IT division as a whole.

What’s special about the environment in which you work?
Our field is incredibly dynamic since requirements and priorities change regularly and very fast. At the same time a generation change has taken place and a young, motivated team is hungry to get things moving. This makes for a superb and constructive working atmosphere.

What is attractive about your work?
I always enjoy learning new things and changing things. It’s a great feeling when you look back over the past few years and see the results of your own work.