Background
After his studies, Oliver began his career at Heubach GmbH, a company producing pigments located just a few kilometers from his home in northern Germany. “It was a logical choice,” he says, “at the time working from home was not yet common and I wanted to work to stay within my family environment. ” Heubach offered him the chance t start in the export and sales department, and he quickly developed within the company. “I started in the inside sales team and after three years I move to the outside field sales, being responsible for the German market at the beginning.” He says. Thanks to continuous growth opportunities, he stayed with Heubach for 25 years. His last position was global key account manager with focus on DACH-Region markets Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Vacancy
When Heubach merged with another large European pigment producer and brought in investors, the corporate culture changed significantly. “The small, family-oriented structure disappeared,” he explains, “and I felt out of place within this large global organization.: Looking for a company that better matched his values, but operated within the industry in which he gained years of knowledge and experience, he ended up at Profiltra. “Profiltra combines professionalism with a personal approach, exactly what I was looking for,” he says.
First impression
His first impression of Profiltra was very positive. “I immediately felt welcome during my meetings with Sebastian Faure, Patrick and Edwin Cobussen,” he says. “Their interest in me as a person and as a professional gave me the confidence to take this important step”. The company’s open communication and structured growth ambitions made a strong impression. For me, the idea of working closely with reliable manufacturers in India and China producing under our own brand, our own Profiltra China team with Richard and Amber, is a great feeling to sell good and competitive products in the European market. This is absolutely state of the art, this is how it should be to work for a professional company. Our products are made to our specifications, everything is well organized and this makes me feel very good that my decision 1,5 years ago was the right one.
Balance ambition and market knowledge
As Senior Technical Sales Manager at Profiltra, Oliver is responsible for the further development of the business within the Color Solutions department. “My experience and existing contact in Germany are crucial here,” he explains. “The direct contact with customers and solving technical and commercial issues give me great satisfaction.” He works closely with Patrick and Sebastian to decide if the developed strategies are realistic and achievable. “The balance between ambition and market knowledge is essential,” he says. “It is important that in my role I can contribute whether strategic decisions are realistic or not through my knowledge and experience within the market.” The cooperation within the team, as well as with his supervisor, contributes to his positive work experience and good business result. “We are on the same page, which is important for good cooperation.”
Future
Oliver looks confidently to the future at Profiltra. “My goal is to make Profiltra more visible in the marketplace every day,” he says. “Twenty years ago Profiltra was not a big name in the pigment industry, but now the changing market with the bankruptcy of Heubach, among others, offers tremendous growth opportunities in paints/coatings and plastics application fields.” He strives to position Profiltra as a reliable partner for customers. “We need to keep working on the recognition that Profiltra is a reliable partner. “Where years ago Profiltra was focused on selected customers and applications, we are now working to become a main supplier to companies for various pigments. “My ambition is not just to be a number in a large organization, but to actually contribute to the success and growth of Profiltra.” The international character, the close cooperation and the family feeling make his workplace not only a nice professional environment, but also a place to where he enjoys working every day.