A clear mission for the topics of the future

MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Jörg Steins has worked in the automotive industry for almost a quarter of a century and has successfully accompanied its changes. “I have a lot of experience in transformation and know what is important: being close to the customer and transparent, as well as acting quickly.“ Attracting new customers and opening up new markets are also not new to him: “In my previous roles, we succeeded in doing this with industrial or e-bike applications or when we were commissioned by a US e-vehicle manufacturer.“ And the engineer knows how product development and innovation management can be successful. His mission is clear: “Innovative strength and competitiveness are decisive, and Eberspächer must develop to a higher level in this respect in the Divisions."
 

SETTING A CLEAR FOCUS

So all at once? “No, that's not a good approach.“ The 56-year-old is clearly focusing on important growth areas and future opportunities. First, the electrical heaters. “Electromobility will continue to grow, now we need to score points in the right markets with the right products.“ He and his team are therefore working on acquiring orders, including from Chinese manufacturers. “We have to be faster and ultimately impress with our competitiveness in the upcoming platforms.“ That is why he is pushing ahead with the development of a new generation of high voltage heaters at full speed. His keywords: “Shortening product development times, focusing on technology and costs as well as time-to-market, i.e., faster commercial viability.“ Secondly, he sees great potential in automotive electronics, particularly the battery management system. “We have reached an important milestone here. On this basis, we need to stabilize our software expertise and apply it to other customers." Steins also sees opportunities for the largest Division, Purem by Eberspächer, through the transformation: “In addition to our traditional business, we can transfer our core competencies to various other future-oriented technologies. In the case of hydrogen drive, we are already conducting field tests with our customers with exhaust air systems, as well as with our exhaust gas aftertreatment system for hydrogen engines. We are also actively examining other new topics, such as the efficient generation of hydrogen.”
 

STRATEGIC, COMMITTED, MOTIVATED

Open exchange, flexibility, and speed in everything we promote,“ is his motto. Together with the employees, he tackles the task with commitment and motivation. His strategy is, “The team wins because then we are the customer's first choice.“ To this end, he offers support and demands transparency. Initial feedback from employees proves that he is serious. He is praised for his ability to recognize situations quickly and initiate action, as well as for his interest in people and very respectful interaction on an equal footing.