Life in the fast lane

What do you like about your current job?

We went through a phase of reviewing, and to an extent restructuring and refocusing as well, which was hard work. We are now seeing growth and we’ve had a lot of very positive feedback, so finally being in that phase of business is pretty exciting.

What is your focus for the next year?

Our focus is on execution, which in the end stands for growth, for further qualification of the landscape for both channels as well as our customers, and to bring unified communications to the SME space, which we think we can do based on our Open Communications strategy.

What’s the next big thing for the industry?

Unified Communications for the SME space is a big thing and will happen. I also see a very good chance to successfully bring video to the desk, and that will be HD video. A third aspect is the communication and enabling of Web-based services, including the centralised provision of applications.

What kind of timeframe are we looking at before these things become standard?

For the first two we will see significant penetration into the market within the next 12-18 months. The other trend is more a mid-term one, so I’d say 2-3 years, but I’m convinced that the flexibility – especially in the SME space – will be well appreciated.

What do you do when you’re not at work?

I love sports, and everybody needs a bit of exercise, so I play squash and I love snowboarding and a couple of other sports. I love being with my family – my kids and my wife – and we love travelling together.

Do you like gadgets?

As I’m still fairly new to Australia I run around with a mobile GPS, which helps a lot, and I can use this one on a motorbike or in a car.

So you’re into motorbikes as well?

Yeah, that’s another passion of mine. I’m German so I can’t drive quickly here. I have a city bike which is a 1000cc and helps to quickly leave the traffic lights if necessary, so it does its job.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

My first serious target was to become a lawyer, then at the end of school I was getting interested in environmental cares and was thinking about environmental engineering, which was new at universities at that point, but then I signed up at Siemens and took a slightly different career path.

What is your biggest ambition?

I would love to achieve work/life balance and, regardless of how long I stay in Australia, I’d like to see more of the country.