Udo Thomas
We move people – Udo Thomas by interview
Udo has already been working at Umicore for 2x20 years and has not only remained loyal to the company but also to the same business unit over the years.
“Working at Umicore means for me the belief in making a valued contribution to the overall success of the company in my field of business.“
| From 2003 until today, a lot has changed at Umicore: For example, the focus on clean technologies, the introduction of new, digital ways of working or our ambitious sustainability strategy "Let's go for zero". How have you experienced the last 20 years in your personal work environment? |
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"In a word: 'rapidly'. Looking back, that is actually the biggest change for me. Higher, faster, further has become the norm. The new ways of working and digital communication are important and bring many benefits, but they speed things up even more. My impression is that the social communication component is significantly reduced compared to the work environment of 20 years ago. Sustainable action has rightly become a significant issue and of course I think it's great that my employer is very clearly showing its true colors with 'Let's go for zero'." |
| In "2x20" years at Umicore and its predecessor companies, there have certainly been some nice, funny and maybe melancholic moments that you remember fondly. Can you share one of them with us? |
| “There were indeed many moments and it is not easy for me to pick out a single one. There were often funny situations in the office and on business trips. With such anecdotes, it's usually the (co-)experienced moment that makes it. Perhaps the following: Many years ago, I was visiting a potential client with two colleagues and I presented our field. What I wanted to say was '...what makes us so unique....', but what I must have said - unnoticed by myself - in the flow of words was '....what makes us so strange....' (In German the words are quite similar). I don't know if the client noticed, but my two colleagues did, because after the meeting, on the way to the car, they both had a great laugh and told me about the faux pas. Well, you should also be able to laugh at yourself and it didn't hurt the later customer relationship either.” |
| On 1 August you celebrated your 40th anniversary with the company - a long time with the same employer. What has motivated you to stay with it over all these years? |
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“I have not only stayed with the same employer, but even with the same business unit! Nevertheless, the environment in which we operate with our precious metal components for the special glass industry is incredibly multi-faceted. We run a kind of project business with the most diverse requirements, both commercial and technical. As a qualified commercial person and with my affinity for technical products, this is a very suitable combination for me. This is enriched by the long-standing contacts to numerous customers and partners. Such personal relationships are also very important to me. As a specialist for innovative solutions in a heterogeneous market, we are constantly dealing with changing market conditions, demanding customer requirements, new strategies as well as optimisations of internal processes. Precious metals always play a central role and require tailor-made solutions for our customers. I like this diversity. I benefit from my experience, but I am still challenged again and again.” |
