The EVOMOTIV GmbH is celebrating its 15th company anniversary this year, which involves over 40.000 hours of "pulling together" or, in other words, over 15 years of teamwork between the managing directors Gerhard, Lukas and Sebastian. In an interview, they talk about how the three keep a cool head, define the key to long-term company success and what makes their collaboration so special. From special EVO highlights, their biggest learnings to their wishes for the future, the three gave very personal insights into their collaboration.
Dear Lukas, dear Gerhard, dear Sebastian – 15 years EVOMOTIV – Congratulations! What are you most proud of when you look back on the last 15 years?
Luke: Recently, I was standing with a customer on our test site and presented our self-developed robot platform and the tests related to the development of the highly automated parking functions. As I stood there, I realized what
we have already developed everything in the last few years. When I then noticed how much this impressed our customers, I was really proud of everything we have already achieved. This is only a small excerpt, but in relation to the whole, it is and was still something that makes me very proud.
Sebastian: I am particularly proud of the trust that prevails here. I notice this especially in those with whom I work very closely. But I also have the impression that it is the same for others. The fact that such a high level of trust exists in a company of this size makes me very proud!
Gerhard: What immediately comes to mind is the Christmas I just really enjoyed celebrating with everyone because we have hired a cool group of people who all enjoy working together and having fun. And that is something I am really proud of!
What have been the biggest learnings for you in the last few years?
Gerhard, Lukas and Sebastian: That mobile working works very well. A few years ago we would probably have said that it would not work well.
Are there any moments from the last 15 years that have particularly stuck in your mind?
Sebastian: There are really a lot of moments. But the ones that stick in my mind are the ones when employees - no matter how long they have been there - give the company praise and recognition without being asked. This also applies to customers. Just today I received anonymous feedback from an employee that, according to the customer contact, we are the only development partner that can keep up with the OEMs in terms of employer attractiveness. He could sign that straight away.
Gerhard: The inauguration and the move from Leinfelden to Flacht 1 have remained in my mind as a very special moment. Our first own building, which I was primarily responsible for planning and building.
Lukas: One moment that was particularly memorable for me was Bosch's commitment to the Preferred Supplier contract. We all worked very hard towards this. From several months of intensive work, to a short-notice film shoot for the customer, to an eight-hour negotiation, a lot of hard work went into this, which was very worthwhile. We were able to extend this contract last year by further 2 years, which is of course brilliant. "Of all the preferred suppliers, we have developed the most": A statement from the customer that makes you very proud.
What appeals to you about being a managing director?
Gerhard: I think the great thing about the position of managing director is that you can "shape" something yourself and get feedback relatively quickly on whether the decisions you made were good or perhaps not so good. Be it from colleagues, customers or even the market.
Sebastian: From my point of view, the great thing about my job is seeing how the people I work with and who I have hired and entrusted with the tasks have developed and are now developing.
Luke: I agree. It may sound a bit strange, but I am proud that we have now managed to make ourselves almost dispensable in some areas. That shows that we have chosen the right people who are at least as good and happy to do the operational business as we used to. Seeing how these people grow with their tasks and enjoy doing them makes me very proud.
How would you describe your collaboration?
Lukas: Open and trusting, combined with a constructive culture of debate. After all these years, we know very well who is most responsible for which of our topics and have distributed these very well among ourselves. We usually act as mutual sparring partners. But all of this takes place without any power struggles, so we never try to influence the other person's area. Quite the opposite: we always have an open exchange of opinions and we often have different views at the beginning. But this is precisely what usually leads to a decision that has been examined from many sides.
Gerhard: Absolutely. Even after 17 years of working closely together - if you include the planning phase - we still get on really well and always enjoy doing things together in our private lives too. We discuss things from the beginning until we end up with a 3:0 decision that everyone agrees with and stands behind. And that is exactly what is not a given, but it is certainly what makes us special.
Sebastian: I would like to emphasize the importance of fairness in our collaboration. It has been a given for us from the very beginning that we treat each other fairly and communicate with each other carefully, i.e. that we communicate without avoiding conflict.
What qualities and skills do you value most in your fellow managers?
Luke: Gerry often takes on the role of moderator for us, which is very good. He brings calm to our discussions by actively listening and slowing us down a bit at the right points, ensuring that we take a step back to come to a more considered decision. I really appreciate his ability to remain calm at the right moments.
What I really appreciate about Seb is that he often brings a scientifically based view and adds valuable insights regarding leadership topics and psychological perspectives.
Gerhard: Lukas has an incredibly broad perspective and I find it fascinating what he has on his radar. What I appreciate about Sebastian is his quick comprehension, his quick wit and his really fast thinking, which allows him to make the right decisions incredibly quickly.
Sebastian: I also agree with the previous points about Lukas and Gerhard. What I would like to add about Lukas is his quality of resilience.
How much free time do you have as a manager and how do you spend it?
Sebastian: I am generally very happy with my work-life balance. Besides my family and friends, one of my biggest hobbies is sport - whether active or passive. I like jogging and as a 1. FC Köln fan I also like going to the stadium, like next weekend with my daughter. Films are also a big hobby of mine.
Lukas: Many people define themselves by the number of hours they work, but that's not the case for us. I think that true success lies in getting everything done in normal working hours and still being successful.
In my free time, I do a lot with my children and am up for almost any sport: from tennis to volleyball, cycling and skiing. I also like to deal with topics related to the stock market and try to introduce my children to this topic as well.
Gerhard: I think it's important to have a balance to work and I think it's great that we all think similarly in this area. I love ball sports like table tennis, volleyball or tennis. In addition to playing tennis, I really enjoy building things - which I'm sure some of you have already noticed.
If everyone has a wish for EVOMOTIV free, which one would it be?
Lukas: That things continue at least as they have for the last 15 years! In my opinion, nothing major needs to change. What is important is that the economic and political framework remains similar to what it has been up to now, then we will be able to continue to be successful, give lots of people opportunities and have fun together. By the way, Corona could easily stay away.
Sebastian: What we have achieved in the last few years is pretty impressive. We hope it continues like this!
Gerhard: To launch a product from EVO. We have already laid the foundations here, but I think it would be great to expand on this and bring more and more of our own products onto the market.
Sebastian: That’s right, that would be the icing on the cake!
Dear Gerhard, dear Lukas, dear Sebastian: Thank you very much for the very open and honest interview!
