In the latest episode of our podcast, Thomas CEO Markus Krauss is our guest. In his capacity as Chairman of the Management Board, he bears overall responsibility for the company and various functional areas, from Finance, Human Resources and IT to Strategy Development, Project Management, Quality, Process Development, Sustainability and Brand Management.
People are of particular importance to him in his line of work. For him, „curiosity, composure, resilience, an intuitive understanding of human nature, and a sense of enjoyment in engaging with people“ are the most important qualities you need to bring to the job. And when he emphasizes that his door is always open to everyone, that it is important for him to know when someone needs help, and that he considers company management to be teamwork, it becomes abundantly clear that these are by no means empty words.
The major technological disruptions of our time and the challenges posed by a highly complex and ever-changing world can only be overcome by working collectively. Thomas embraces a culture of community spirit. Against this backdrop, he is confident that the company is well positioned to tackle change. This includes, for example, the company’s ability to leverage trends such as e-mobility and electrohydraulics. „Change in itself is what makes this such a fascinating task. The fact that you are constantly on the move, continually exploring new fields of interest,“ he says. He adds: „We have so many wonderful people here at Thomas, and it’s fun to work with them.“
Born in the southern German region of Franconia, his biography is brimming with diversity: he studied mechanical engineering and business administration in Stuttgart, completed a trainee program at a major automotive supplier and worked as a consultant before joining Thomas in 2003 – where, as a professing Christian, he really feels at home.
Speaking of „home“: of course the podcast also looks into his life away from the job. When Markus is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family and his Labrador Paula, he reveals. Especially out and about in the countryside because that’s where he can switch off best. He also rediscovered an old hobby during the pandemic and picked up his tennis racket again after many years.
For those of you who would also like to know what an individual SWOT analysis is, why mistakes are part of it, and in which situation you can consider goulash to be a snack, simply listen to the podcast!
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