Interview Hendrik Niemann: 20 Years at Elektrosil

 

Hendrik, you’ve been with Elektrosil for 20 years this year. How did you come to join the company back then?

I didn’t actually apply for a job in 2006. A customer at the time recommended me to the Esil management of the day, and they invited me for an interview. Clearly, it was a good fit for both sides.

 

You started out in the fan division, later headed up electromechanics and the automotive division, and have been CEO since 2019. Was it clear early on that you wanted to take on responsibility?

Yes. I started back in 2006 with the aim of taking on responsibility in the long term. So the prospect was there from the outset; the specific steps then fell into place over the years.

 

In 2019, you and Hannes Collenburg took over the company yourselves. How do you remember that period?

It was a management buy-out that had already been in the pipeline since late 2018. It was a very turbulent time: Hannes and I had to put together a complex financing package for the purchase price whilst simultaneously negotiating with three existing shareholders. The challenge was to get everyone on the same page.

I particularly remember the moment when we received the financing commitments from all the banks.

 

Hannes Collenburg and Hendrik Niemann are Elektrosil’s CEOs since 2019.

 

Apart from the takeover: what were the most important milestones for you over the past 20 years? What are you particularly proud of?

An early and important milestone was our first OEM nomination for a seat climate control system in 2007. This laid the foundation for our current automotive business.

The figures show what has become of it over the past 20 years: in 2006, we were a team of 15 with a turnover of just under 7 million euros; today, we are 68 with 80 million.

I’m particularly pleased that my entire working environment has developed positively and that setbacks have been minor or non-existent.

 

Is there a story from the past 20 years that has particularly stuck in your memory?

In 2011, I was in a bar in China with a client; we were there on business for a drive technology project in the home appliance sector. After two beers, the client mentioned the challenges he was facing with a temperature sensor. I knew the bar owner well: a former Elektrosil employee who, as well as running the bar, also operated a cable factory. Over a third beer, I introduced the two of them to each other, and the project got off the ground.

We’re still supplying the temperature sensor to this day; we’ve now supplied several hundred thousand units.

Incidentally, nothing ever came of the original motor project. That’s how it goes: sometimes it’s not the obvious solution that prevails, but a completely different one.

 

Today, you run Elektrosil together with Hannes, who has been a permanent member of the company for ten years this year. How do you divide up the tasks?

Dividing up tasks isn’t really our approach. We tend to have areas of focus that we each take charge of and are responsible for: I’m at home in sales and technology, whilst Hannes focuses more on finance and operations. We complement each other very well every day and coordinate closely on all matters.

 

I like to shape things and drive them forward. The highlights are always those moments when we’ve taken another step forward. These can be small things, but they can just as easily be a newly secured project.

 

The automotive industry is currently undergoing fundamental change, moving away from internal combustion engines. Do you see this as a threat, a challenge or an opportunity?

Every change brings great opportunities, and I see Elektrosil as well-positioned to respond to them. At the moment, we’re benefiting from the electrification of the powertrain: as more electronics are incorporated into vehicles, the market for products from our portfolio is growing.

 

What do you see as the key issues for the coming years? Where do you see major shifts on the horizon?

First of all: I’m looking forward to the future because I enjoy change and challenges. The pace of change is particularly rapid at the moment, and I enjoy planning around these upheavals and capitalising on the opportunities they present.

What I can already see is that we are becoming significantly more international and have a presence with our customers all over the world. Our product portfolio will also be considerably broader in future, giving us the chance to move beyond being a niche supplier in many areas.

 

And where will Elektrosil be in ten years’ time?

The world of electronics and electromechanics is here to stay, and thanks to our agility, we’ll be a serious player in that field.

 

Finally: what advice would you give to the Hendrik from 2006 today?

Stay just as motivated and committed. And become much more relaxed.