Seven stories, seven WOWs

Actually, we have two anniversary Freudenberg books: The 150 years and now the 175 years edition. Two? Well, I have worked here for 13 years, and my Dad has a book from his time working here.

I believe my career first gained traction when I made the bold decision to move from Brazil to the USA, and switched industries from heavy industry to automotive. And it really hit top gear some years afterwards when I moved to our headquarters in Germany, though I had to handle some serious curves in the road - those of you learning the German language will know what I mean.

They don’t take credit for your work and they encourage you with close mentoring and excellent training. They want their people to thrive because it means the company will succeed. Logical as that may sound, you don’t always find that in a professional setting. 

One of the most interesting periods for me has been our transition to E-mobility. I am amazed that we have adapted so quickly and transformed our portfolio so that it remains competitive. Just as interesting was how we dealt with the pandemic. At that point, I had moved on from my starting position as an Account Manager for Freudenberg Sealing Technologies to Director of Inside Sales and Contract Management in the USA. But I was allowed to fulfil that role remote from Brazil. I am still grateful that Freudenberg let me do this, as it was important for me to be with my family at that time.

So, where is my next stop? To be honest, I am not sure. I am like the Transformers car in that I have had many different roles here and my knowledge and experience just grow and grow. However, what I know to be true is that if I continue to deliver good results, there is something good waiting for me around the corner at Freudenberg.

It’s funny, but it’s almost like I am reliving those great days of my youth working at Freudenberg because I am full of energy and am having so much fun. Of course, it helps that I am on the automotive sales side of things – in the Damper & Steering segment – because cars are a passion of mine. If I were one myself, I would be a Hybrid SUV running off different power sources and seeking out and working hard over new terrains. 

For me, Sales has always been about opening up opportunities for new business to thrive and finding ways to grow the market. I remember presenting a plan to senior management that doubled turnover in our region. A few years later, I exceeded even those expectations by tripling turnover. This success was possible because I had the incredible opportunity to build and lead a talented sales team when I was entrusted with my region during COVID.

All our work in Sales relies on developing good relations with customers. Yes, we sell auto-related products, but essentially the sales job is very much about people – the customer has to trust you enough as a person to know that you represent the right company for them to do business with. I started building trust during the COVID period. I did a lot of research and then when our team finally got to meet our customers, we were closer to them and could already show a well-developed understanding of their needs. 

At Freudenberg we speak & think beyond; we all follow a clear vision and develop a mission statement according to our professional and ethical goals. For example, treating everyone with respect is something I always experience here. It does not mean that you cannot voice an opinion, need or concern; you are just encouraged to do it in the right way. You don’t need to be afraid to be vocal in seeking out challenges; after all, they are opportunities to fulfill both your professional goals and the company’s commercial needs. I hope to do just that at another level here as a business leader, perhaps President or a Chief Executive Officer, within the next 5-10 years! 

If you look back at the history of the automobile you could never have imagined that the fuel cell business would be so huge or that lithium batteries would be a feature of the modern car. But they are, and I am playing a part in that. And I love it!
I started as a Sales Engineer in 2014. I was working on an innovative lithium battery separator project. Soon after, I hit my first major milestone. What did I do? I successfully won our first lithium battery customer in Shanghai. I cannot tell you how much that encouraged me, pushed me, fueled me. 
Because of my experience in the lithium separator field, I was able to transition into another super innovative product - Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL). I was only attached to the project part-time initially but have been dedicated full-time to GDL since 2018, when I also became Senior Sales Manager. The team has expanded as the fuel cell market has expanded in China. It has been a real pleasure to witness our customer base expand, alongside the growth of our team to five dedicated salespeople who have also gained confidence in the process. 
 

We are like a happy saloon car - small but effective. To get to this point, as a leader, I had to build trust – in the team and in my abilities. It is something easy to say but hard to do. Our approach is to openly share and work together on how we can improve. This type of communication, and all driving toward a common goal really brings a team together, particularly in sales which can have real highs and lows.

What is my standout WOW moment? I have a few but the time I visited our headquarters in Weinheim, Germany with a very important customer is one. The customer lacked confidence in our product, but we arranged a factory tour and they soon bought into what we were doing. That was a big win for me and Freudenberg. In sales, it always helps if you are lucky enough to have a good product to sell. 

Freudenberg is a large company, but hasn’t lost the human side of business. In fact, I have done many things professionally here, but I am very proud of something close to the heart. I was involved with our company’s support for a worthy charity. The connection came while I was on assignment to Mexico from Spain. During that time, Freudenberg’sEducation and environmental protection initiative was chosen to offer its help to a wonderful non-profit organization that helps girls who are at high risk of, or who have experienced abuse. Many girls are rehabilitated through education; all with a special focus on environmental protection activities. 

This and other charitable actions have strengthened tremendously my sense of belonging and engagement with my company and the communities it operates in. But this is a more personal side of my job, there is also the professional side. I started nearly 25 years ago in Spain as Customer Service Manager. I was Supply Chain Manager, Sales Area Manager, and then Regional Manager for Spain and Portugal. After that, I went to Mexico and became General Manager. I eventually ended up here in Houston, in my current role as Vice President of Strategic Sales.

Along the way, I have worked with great colleagues, and together we have all contributed to growing the business in our own ways. We’ve faced new challenges in recent times, such as digital sales and volume recovery. And we have continued to learn—something we all have in common. It’s a thing we are actively encouraged to do, no matter how far we advance in our careers. You are always on that forward path toward your next great career milestone here. I expect my broad experience in different markets and countries will continue to be enriched.

This is a global firm. I have so many options to develop. But no matter where I end up, I will continue to help give back to those who are not as fortunate as I am. Freudenberg has instilled that spirit in me.

I am at Freudenberg because of a big student recruitment fair that takes place every year at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. How I came to be at that event is quite a story. I had left Venezuela and was studying for my master’s at the Technical University when my friend told me about the fair. That tip changed my life.

I remember my eyes stopped at a big white and blue poster with the words “Oil & Gas”, and I swear my head reproduced a heaven sound inside. I had worked for many years in the Oil & Gas industry in Venezuela, but Munich was predominantly automotive, software and electronics oriented, so I didn’t expect anything. Imagine my surprise!

I approached the Freudenberg booth and I will never forget the chat. I said: “Wow, it´s difficult to find companies like you here in Munich”, and the reply: “No, it´s difficult to find people like you here.” These words still resonate in my heart.

I joined and soon came a major challenge. I was made responsible for the kick-off of the Technical Sales Support Hub South America in Brazil; the first one worldwide. I had to align the local technical and commercial quotation process to that of our headquarters. So, I put everybody together: CEO Latam, CFO Latam, all TSS, Sales, Intellectual Property, Marketing and IT. It was intense but productive. And successful.

Now, I face probably the most drastic challenge so far. After many years in the technical arena, I have changed to a new position type - Global Pricing Manager. It means acquiring new knowledge. Luckily, my previous experience in Technical Sales Support helps when creating Pricing Models for our products, where we also need to talk with Sales to get a value-based pricing with customer orientation. 

I am happy and proud to be part of the Freudenberg global set-up – it’s like being a cool car with a great navigation system that can take you everywhere.

My first work experience with Freudenberg was as an intern 10 years ago. Now, I am Team Lead Maritime Key Account Manager Maritime & Indoor Sales, as part of Strategic Customer Programs team within the Freudenberg e-Power Systems. You could say I started as a go-kart and now I am a Formula 1 race car, but one that is good at navigating all parts of the track, especially corners.

I say this because I have moved across several business units and countries; navigating my way through the many challenges that a big organization can pose. Each career stop has significantly increased my knowledge base and cultural understanding of the organization. As I have had training and mentoring programs, including TAFF, I know that when a difficult task is put my way, I have the tools to rise to the challenge. Like when I personally installed the foundation of our fuel cell system on the AIDANova cruise ship during Covid, which was a very unique experience.
 

Through my work in Sales, I have met so many inspiring people and colleagues that have become personal friends. I have had lots of talks with my senior colleague, and one PEP (Personal Energy Protection) seminar by my colleague Jason, in particular, has pushed me forward. Freudenberg employees are supportive and friendly in general, so there is plenty of backup here. Yet, somehow it feels more than a work thing, and this became very apparent to me when the Auburn Hills team organized a going away BBQ for me. I really felt special, but I was also very sad at leaving that situation and those colleagues behind. 

When one door closes, another opens. I still see a lot of opportunities within Freudenberg to grow and would be happy to try other countries. I am convinced that I can take responsibility for growing the organization and myself personally, wherever I work. Here, you just put yourself in the driver’s seat and don’t wait until opportunities appear out of the blue. 

It’s not enough to make great products but it is a business world out there, so you need to get ahead of the competition by selling those goods. That is what I do as Sales Manager, and I lead a top Sales team. 

I didn’t start in Sales, and that’s how careers can develop at Freudenberg: You have a whole open road ahead of you, you just have to learn how to navigate it. I am actually a techie at heart. I began my life at Freudenberg as an Engineer and transitioned to Sales in 2018. In 2021, I was promoted to Sales Manager and I was given the opportunity to lead a team for the very first time. It was great because I feel I made a major contribution by bringing more technical support to the Sales side – it was like adding a sleek side car to a fast motorbike.

The favorite thing that I have participated in, with regards to training, is the China Challenge Club. It helped develop my professional work style and honed my strategic thinking capacities. I worked over a 10-month period on a project that aimed to boost business growth at Freudenberg. I interviewed all Business Groups and invited Operations colleagues to discuss and put forward ideas for automation optimization for China, as well as business opportunities connected to hydrogen. I presented my findings to Executives in Germany and got some very informative and positive feedback. I now have no fear at all about representing myself, and the ideas my colleague and I have, to senior level personnel. 

What are the lessons I have learned over the years? Well, I am still learning but there are a few. My main lesson is: always be ready to understand the mindset of your colleagues and customers, at all levels. Then you can then speak to them in a way they understand. The other lesson: no matter what happens, stick fast to Freudenberg’s Guiding Principles. Last lesson: do not ask someone to do hard work that you are not prepared to do yourself. In other words, set the example as a leader.