Background
After completing his studies, Oliver began his career at Heubach GmbH, a pigment manufacturing company located just a few kilometers from his home in Northern Germany. “It was a logical choice,” he says. “At that time, working from home was not yet common, and I wanted to work within my familiar family environment.” Heubach offered him the opportunity to start in the export and sales department, where he quickly progressed within the company. “I started in the internal sales team, and after three years, I moved to the field sales team, where I was initially responsible for the German market,” he explains. Thanks to continuous growth opportunities, he remained with Heubach for 25 years. His final role was Global Key Account Manager, focusing on the DACH region: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Vacancy
When Heubach merged with another major European pigment producer and attracted investors, the corporate culture changed significantly. “The small, family-like structure disappeared,” he explains, “and I no longer felt at home within this large, global organization.” Searching for a company that better aligned with his values while remaining active in the industry where he had built years of knowledge and experience, he discovered Profiltra. “Profiltra combines professionalism with a personal approach — exactly what I was looking for,” he says.
First Impression
His first impression of Profiltra was very positive. “I felt immediately welcome during my interviews with Sebastian Faure, Patrick, and Edwin Cobussen,” he says. “Their interest in me as both a person and a professional gave me the confidence to take this important step.” The open communication and the company’s structured growth ambitions made a strong impression. “For me, the idea of working closely with reliable manufacturers in India and China who produce under our own brand — with our own Profiltra China team including Richard and Amber — is a great feeling when selling high-quality and competitive products on the European market. This is absolutely state-of-the-art: this is how it should be when working for a professional company. Our products are manufactured according to our specifications, everything is well-organized, and that gives me a very good feeling that my decision eighteen months ago was the right one.”
Balance between ambition and market knowledge
As Senior Technical Sales Manager at Profiltra, Oliver is responsible for the further business development within the Color Solutions department. “My experience and existing contacts in Germany are crucial here,” he explains. “Direct contact with customers and solving technical and commercial challenges give me a great deal of satisfaction.” He works closely with Patrick and Sebastian to assess whether the developed strategies are realistic and achievable. “The balance between ambition and market knowledge is essential,” he says. “It is important that in my role, I can use my knowledge and experience within the market to help determine whether strategic decisions are realistic or not.” The collaboration within the team, as well as with his supervisor, contributes to his positive work experience and strong commercial results. “We are on the same page, and that is vital for effective cooperation.”
Future
Oliver looks toward the future at Profiltra with great confidence. “My goal is to make Profiltra more visible in the market every day,” he says. “Twenty years ago, Profiltra was not a major name in the pigment industry, but the changing market — including the bankruptcy of Heubach — now offers enormous growth opportunities in the paint/coatings and plastics application areas.” He strives to position Profiltra as a reliable partner for customers. “We must continue to work on the recognition that Profiltra is a dependable partner. While Profiltra focused on a select group of customers and applications years ago, we are now working toward becoming a primary supplier of various pigments for companies. My ambition is not to be just a number in a large organization, but to actually contribute to the success and growth of Profiltra.” The international character, close collaboration, and family feel make his workplace not only a pleasant professional environment but also a place where he enjoys coming to work every day.