“The entire industry is experiencing a profound upheaval right now. We need to find answers to completely new questions. These answers must be clear and direct – and we must communicate them both to our employees and our customers,” says Panz, who developed his leadership principles while responsible for the global rebuild business, the Instruments group and Flavor. He delegates responsibility with definite goals in mind, puts his trust in commitment and cooperation, and values teamwork.
The new CTO always thinks in a way that encompasses all divisions, even though his position gives him responsibility for specific areas – including research and development. His focus is principally on the Hauni Group’s activities in the Secondary. One of his most urgent tasks is to create clear structures that promote direct communication and quick decision-making while avoiding fixed structures. “Every employee should know their individual responsibilities within the company and actually fulfil them,” says Panz. “At the same time, we are all members of a team that works closely across national borders, cultural differences and a variety of tasks.” Panz has many years of experience in working with different cultures and has learned a great deal about respect, open cooperation and communicating with peers on equal terms.
In this challenging market environment, Panz wants to focus more than ever on the customer, the market and profitability. The CTO’s most urgent tasks include putting the product portfolio under the microscope and bringing the Hauni Group’s outstanding technology even closer to the market. “Although we are doing a great deal here already, we must subject our approach to even deeper scrutiny,” says Panz, who does not mind being perceived as awkward at times.
The first thing he sees is not the problem, but the opportunity to improve things. The more demanding and varied the task, the more it attracts him. And the 54-year-old will not lose sleep if he has a clear vision of the goal but does not yet have a path to acheiving it. “We develop solutions by working together closely as a team and that means, in the end, we will know the decisions we have to make.”
