David, CHAiNGERSTrainee Casarile, Italy
Experience on the shopfloor with own project to run, travelling to other plants, get in touch with Top Management. The program gives you a wide perspective on the company vertically and horizontally. You meet and talk to different stakeholders (e.g. line operator and to the Top Management). You touch different departments and face contrasting needs and requirements.
What would be an advice you would give young graduates starting at Henkel?
You are in graduate program to learn. Everything that you are asked to do teaches you something about processes, technologies or Ops & SC in general. If you have an idea about your learning path or activities, areas, projects you would like to see and/or work on…speak up! Talk to your local supervisor, mentor or program lead. You are in the driver's seat to shape your career path.
Do you have any take-aways from the program so far?
Listen and understand everybody closely to acquire different points of view but don't change your mind because you have not listened to them all.
It is part of the program to take over a Lean Six Sigma project. What do you get to experience during this time?
Manage relationships with lots of people from different educational backgrounds, with different views on the job and company. Tackle existing problems scientifically and keep up the enthusiasm of the team over a problem many already had tried to solve or did not think there is a solution.
