New seating arrangement in the podcast studio! In this episode, Thomas Heyer gives Rufus and himself more legroom. This is fitting, as the FMEA moderatoralso deals with optimization in his professional life – particularly that of processes and methodologies.
But first things first: Thomas trained as an industrial mechanic in Solingen and worked in the quality department of various automotive suppliers from 2012 onwards. He began a dual degree program, but unfortunately had to drop out after a serious traffic accident.
This did not harm his career: since March 2025, he has been FMEA moderator at Thomas.
FMEA stands for “Failure Mode and Effects Analysis.” His job is to proactively look for errors, assess risks, and find solutions. He doesn’t do this alone: first and foremost, he is a moderator, bringing all parties involved to the table and steering the process in the right direction. Together with the others, he analyzes what constitutes an error, whether similar errors have already occurred, and what can be done about them.
He enjoys all of this. Not only because he is constantly dealing with new products and his work produces visible results – such as changes to production processes. But also because, as a communicative person, he likes to ask questions when something is unclear. He stays on the ball, has an analytical eye, and enjoys working in a team.
Thomas is enthusiastic about his job and his colleagues. “I’ve been made to feel very welcome, and everything is taken care of. If you have any questions or organizational issues, help is immediately available. {…} The trust you are given here is fantastic.” So the prospects for greater quality and efficiency are excellent!
Curious? If you want to know more about the work of an FMEA moderator or about Thomas’s semi-professional tennis career in his younger years, just listen in! At the end, he even reveals his favorite snack, which has been with him his whole life! This much can be revealed: it’s on the healthy side.
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