This is a YouTube video titled "Podcast Video of Wolfgang" containing a monologue or interview-style talk from February 24, 2022. The speaker, presumably Wolfgang, discusses his career transitions from financial controlling to treasury, cultural and leadership style differences between Europe and China, and the transformational challenges and opportunities in the automotive industry, including digitalization and electric vehicles. The content focuses on personal career experiences and industry insights rather than a multi-speaker conversation.
One challenge was that I went from financial controlling basically into treasury. So it was a new field. I got the manager who was Chinese leadership style, which is different to a European sort of leadership style. And then of course, it was a different country, first Hong Kong, and then I went actually to Shanghai. And in particular Shanghai, that was much more Chinese 20 years ago than it is today. So I had to learn a lot, become more open, see how to approach certain things, different things, which worked well, well here in Europe and I could influence and convince people. Suddenly didn't work that well in China. And I had to take the feedback and see how I can actually change myself in order to have more impact going there. If I can say to people, what could I give them as an advice? Don't take three new areas at the same time. I think one or two is good enough. It was very clear to see us. Okay, well, let's see what the leadership style difference is. In my early stage of career, I'd like to work for an American company to the difference, experience the difference, because they do things faster, but they change directions quicker as well. So it's not so structured. But, you know, I'm more entrepreneurial in a way. Okay, I make a decision. If the decision is wrong, I'm going to reverse the decision and I'm running maybe exactly the opposite direction. So how I wanted to understand and learn this and that's why I joined actually an American company now back in Europe. But if you move in your young career very early, very often, of course you're from the private sector side, you, you leave a lot of things behind as well. So partners can't always follow you as quickly as when you move on. Every one and a half or one year, there's no other locations. This is a bit difficult. That's why I wanted to go back to Europe and joined an American company. The automotive industry is in a very much transformational process. Whether it's electric cars, whether it's digitalization, whether it's autonomous driving, new business ecosystems around it. There are so many things which is right now, let's say, in a change where there's a possibility to influence and help to shape the future. It's a lot of insecurity as well, because we don't know exactly how it will play out, but it is on our hand and we're trying to help that. And we put a lot of emphasis on whether it's through investments, building the right teams, transforming the teams as well, because skills you need today, they might not be needed anymore. In the future tomorrow. So you need to make sure that the team is actually developed along and you bring them into the new stage. And we have big responsibilities from the social perspective, let's say people working for warship, but as well the social environment where we are based, whether it's in Stuttgart, Leipzig and Europe or in other parts of the world as well, we have a big responsibility to drive this innovation so that we are supporting the future business and shape the future business change, where there's a possibility to influence and help to shape the future. It's a lot of insecurity as well, because we don't know exactly how it will play out, but it is on our hand, and we're trying to help that. And we put a lot of emphasis on whether it's through investments, building the right teams, transformation.
