What positions have you held within Henkel?
After secondary school I completed a three-year training position as a specialist chemical worker with Henkel, and then began working on shift operations in the detergents preparation department. Today I am a production supervisor and responsible for the preparation and finishing off (i.e. the packaging) of detergents in tablet form, megaperls, and all detergents in powder form.

Does that mean you’ve had some further training in the company?
Yes, the training as a foreman in the specialised field of chemistry was a big opportunity for me. That’s not something you can just do now and then, you actually have to put a great deal of time on it – including at weekends. I was actually still working shifts at the time. The combination of shift work and school was difficult to get to grips with. Doing school hours the morning after finishing a night shift was pretty tough – but it’s been worthwhile, no doubt about that.

Is there such a thing as a typical working day for you?
I have my daily chores, i.e. things that have to be attended to in the morning. These are mainly SAP processes, feedback, and reports of deviations in raw materials. These have to be dealt with each day by a certain time, otherwise complications crop up in other sectors. Further planning is also dependent on the feedback. When the deadline work is done I can then take care of the production operation. I tour round the plant, checking how efficiently it’s running, and looking out for potential faults/interruptions.

What do you like about the work you do?
That I have time to make contact with my co-workers once I have dealt with the issues subject to deadlines. Also that I can still work on my own responsibility (despite many sets of guidelines) and make my own contribution. I am also the person responsible for training. It is always interesting to be involved in refining training courses and to be in contact with young people in the company. In addition, our company restructures every two years, if not more frequently. New areas of work are added in, old ones fall by the wayside. So one has constantly to be taking new ideas on board, and extending one’s education. Henkel is the very opposite of “set in its ways” – after 25 years I think I can certainly be a good judge of that.