Thursday 2023-08-17

Versatile interests and at home in the world. This is how Ondrej Benes could be described in just a few words. His interests are as numerous as the places where he has lived and worked. Sport is high on the list of his favourite free-time activities. As a child, he was enthusiastic about almost all ball sports, whether handball, volleyball or basketball. Today, he laces up his sports shoes twice a week to learn tennis at a club in Augsburg, Germany. His ambition is to be good enough for the men's team next year. His enjoyment of technical gadgets, which he uses to keep an eye on his fitness level, for example, perfectly fits this. He also likes to keep an eye on his surroundings as a passionate hobby photographer. The 43-year-old's professional career is also anything but one-sided: born and raised in the Czech Republic, he was drawn abroad early on, to England, Spain, Germany, and China, among other places, and to attractive companies such as Siemens, Continental and Faurecia. For all his versatility, however, one thing is a common theme throughout his life: his great passion for purchasing.

Ondrej, you have almost always worked in purchasing. How did it come about?

I had my first contact with purchasing during a holiday job that my father arranged for me. After finishing school, however, I went in a different direction for the time being. I studied economics and had my first permanent job in finance. But I soon realised that I wasn't cut out to sit at a desk all day and deal with columns of figures. After just one week, I pulled the plug and asked myself what I really wanted. The answer was clear: my strength lies in dealing with people. I enjoy that and I think I'm good at it. The memory of the holiday job then pointed me in the direction of purchasing.

What do you like about purchasing, what fascinates you about it?

As I said, I value the contact and conversations with people. Whether in negotiations, with the Board, in team meetings or individual discussions, my job is characterised by dealing with people. That is what motivates and drives me. I see myself as a coach who empowers his team to be successful. 'Empowerment of People' is my mission.

What does this mean in relation to HELLA and what do employees need to be empowered to do?

Compared to other players in the industry, we at HELLA can do even better in terms of speed and efficiency. To increase process efficiency, we have developed a Purchasing Excellence Programme for HELLA Lighting with powerful tools. Looking at people, I would like to see more creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and courage in decisions in daily life. Because we are often far too reserved and self-critical, so that we slow ourselves down rather than move forward. As a result, we lose speed and vigor in the market, and we cannot and do not want to afford that. It is also important to me that the regions act more independently, in the spirit of 'local for local'.

How do you motivate your team to act creatively, courageously and on their own responsibility?

I give my team a lot of freedom and strongly encourage them to go new ways, to change perspectives and to look at things differently than they are used to. And I foster trust by allowing mistakes and not 'punishing' anyone who does not meet their KPIs because they are doing new, creative and meaningful things. This approach is represented by our motto 'Care Dare Share', which applies to Lighting Purchasing HELLA-wide.

What do you mean by that, what is behind this motto? Care' means that we look after each other and support each other. Share' means that we share knowledge and information with each other. But the most important thing is hidden behind the term 'Dare'. Dare stands for the courage and creative entrepreneurial spirit with which we want to tackle our business.

Do you have a practical example for this?

Yes, a good example is how we deal with suppliers. In many cases, we are simply too nice. We too often settle for what we are offered without really negotiating hard. Of course, it is more convenient to maintain existing supplier relationships than to resource. But our goal must always be to get the best conditions for HELLA. And we can only achieve that by putting a certain amount of pressure on our suppliers. They should simply not feel too secure, but know that they have to make an effort to be and remain our partners. With all the pressure, however, it is clear that we always remain fair. Because sustainable relationships require trust.

This also applies to the relationships with your employees: The freedom you grant requires a great deal of trust. What gives you this trust?

Above all, my experience. I have always invested a lot in people, developed them and lifted them into functions and positions that take them further. This has created a great network, a give and take that pays off for everyone.

Thank you very much for the interview.