Mr. Stawowy, you have been with Lapp since 2013 - first as Director Technology and Innovation, then from January 2015 as Director Innovation and Technology. Now you have moved to Bürkert. Why did you do this?

Georg Stawowy: First and foremost because of my curiosity and my desire to constantly develop and reinvent myself. I have to move out of my own comfort zone and learn to listen more and approach new people and things with an open mind. Ultimately, it is also the appeal of bringing my diverse professional experience to a CEO role. The fact that this is now possible for me in a great company like Bürkert is something I see as a happy coincidence.

If you had to summarize your time at Lapp in three sentences, what would they be?

Firstly, in a tough competition for commodities, quality, expertise and service won out in the end.

Secondly, culture can be changed in five to ten years if everyone contributes.

And thirdly, if you want innovation, you have to start with the attitude and appreciate the little things. The rest will follow.

Can you tell me about your greatest personal success at Lapp?

Overall, I've been very lucky in getting the right people involved in my topics: in initiatives, projects and direct line responsibility. This has resulted in 'Ölflex Connect', a comprehensive service package for system technology, and Lapp is now a strong, competent partner in industrial communication. I am proud of that.

What points are on your roadmap for Bürkert - in the near future and in perspective?

First of all, I need to understand what makes Bürkert so successful and get to know the people. The success of recent years has led to extremely ambitious initiatives. Together with my management team, we will refocus our priorities in the coming weeks. After a very demanding and exhausting three years, we now need to channel our energies well.
Looking ahead, we face the same challenges as many SMEs: we need efficiency gains through digitalization in order to achieve growth. We need to strengthen the value and supply chains in the growing regions. And, of course, the issue of sustainability is changing from a purely ethical responsibility to an increasingly important economic factor. We also need to find the right answers to this.

If you can answer that at this stage - are there any similarities between the two corporate cultures?

First impressions are not always the whole truth, but they are of course an important indicator. And there are strong parallels: Both companies are aiming for medium-term, sustainable success and have understood that this can only be achieved with well-trained and motivated employees. Both cultures are therefore characterized by a very high level of employee orientation - everyone is important in the function they have to perform. Both companies also have a strong global presence, and you immediately notice that this international cooperation is an enrichment for many and makes the company more cosmopolitan.

At Lapp, you were committed to the topic of digitalization, among other things - where do you see Bürkert in this respect?

Bürkert is on a very good path, as process and project management was introduced here over ten years ago as a result of the 2008 financial crisis. Without standardized processes, it is difficult to drive digitalization forward. Bürkert has also already achieved an - almost - comprehensive, standardized system landscape for the 'ERP backbone' and the e-shops. Further modules, such as the current MES system, are being built on this strong foundation. With the 'Bürkert Next' transformation program, there is a conceptual roadmap that encompasses the digital transformation of processes, resources and products.

What do you take away from your years at Lapp?

Over the years of my professional life, some basic convictions have grown as to how leadership can enable corporate success. The complexity of larger companies can only be mastered if people meet at eye level and responsibility is assumed where people are directly capable of making decisions.