Two stories, two WOWs

I work for Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions as a Category Supply Chain Manager. We keep the logistics machine well-oiled. I have contributed to more than 20 new product launches over the last three years in the Laundry Care Category in EMEA and the Americas. Each product launch is different and for me it is really inspiring when a close-knit team brings a product to market.

You never know what event is going to disrupt supply chains. So, I have to keep my eyes open and my ear to the ground for potential warning signs. In my career, I have been like a versatile SUV because I have had to proactively steer through many landscapes - environmental risks, geopolitical uncertainties, health crises and conflict situations - to maintain supply to my categories over the last three years. Adaptability and flexibility are key but actually developing a robust risk management strategy is vital, too. 

Actually, that your efforts do not go unnoticed, so a rapid shift through the promotional gears is possible. How did that manifest with me? Well, I was promoted to a Supply Chain Management position, leading our plant Supply Chain team, after just three years. It felt like all my hard work and commitment had truly paid off. I also successfully navigated a big crisis related to a sudden supply disruption with our Ukrainian supplier, it was a global challenge, so finding a solution was important and beside that keeping a close connection also from an human point of view.

All those challenges managed with resilience, focus and structured solutions turned out to be step stones for my personal and professional development, as I was promoted to an international corporate role as a result.

I am curious and seek self-improvement. So, thanks to regular performance reviews and constructive feedback evaluations, I am able to identify the areas I need to work on. I then pinpoint the specific training I require to do this at our Academy. I have done courses like 5 Choices, Project Management training, plus Communication modules. I am currently participating in an international leadership training program. So, there are still many more miles to travel within the Freudenberg world for me. 

For me, self-motivation is the key. For that, you have to love what you are and what you do, and work with total passion. Working on corporate projects has made me aware of just how big Freudenberg Group is, and how far it really reaches. I have come to admire Freudenberg’s working model that encompasses a myriad of business types that employ so many people in so many countries. 
When you work on corporate projects you have to learn to create enthusiasm for what you are offering because people will be participating on top of doing their regular work. I am happy to do this because I feel I am like a taxi that takes my colleague to fulfilling experiences beyond what they normally do, where they learn and interact with like minds. 
 

At this point I am Country Manager Corporate Indirect Procurement and Logistics for Freudenberg Business Services in Mexico. This is one of the most enriching experiences of my career, after starting as a Purchasing Assistant in ChemTrend and Freudenberg Business Services at the same time – this really changed my perspective. I remember my first ever assignment at Freudenberg Business Services was to build a contact address book of all the Freudenberg entities in Mexico. I started calling numbers from the website and some contacts did not even know their company was part of the Freudenberg Group. Now, I would say, I had a small part in transforming fragmented Indirect Purchasing functions into a same-page entity delivering sustainable financial cost savings to Freudenberg Business Units.

From that first project on, I felt like I can really fit in. I worked on a Corporate Indirect Purchasing project which gave me the opportunity to be in touch with many intra-business contacts that I still work with today. This has given me additional knowledge that I am still using today. 

Freudenberg thrives on new business opportunities. If I have one bit of advice for anyone coming here it would be: Always try to take the business to the next level by capitalizing on opportunities, do that and you will go to the next level too!