At the beginning of October, Thomas Wilhelm Jauch took over the management of the Product Center Headlamps. With him, a proven automotive expert joins the management board of the Business Group Lighting. A conversation about comfort zones, yes-men and Spanish cuisine.

_{Thursday 2022-11-24}

We meet Thomas Jauch in the HELLA Globe in Lippstadt: grey jeans, jacket, hearty laugh and lots of automotive experience. The graduate mechanical engineer has been the new Head of the Product Center Headlamps since 1 October 2022. In this interview, he tells us more about himself, his leadership philosophy and career.

Mr Jauch, just to give the staff a first impression: What five keywords would you use to describe yourself?

I certainly have a hands-on mentality, as it is described these days. It is important for me to tackle the issues, to try something instead of just talking all day long and missing opportunities in the meantime. I also have the reputation of being assertive. Moreover, I always try to understand the technical details. As far as my international cooperation is concerned: I like to visit the employees on site at the locations and also like to go into production. This has also given me a lot of experience in international cooperation, especially with Asia. That's five keywords, isn't it (laughs)?

Yes, that fits, thank you. How would you describe your career so far?

A strong automotive focus - although, to be honest, I'm actually not that car-minded in my private life (laughs) - but always consciously getting out of the comfort zone and into new areas. After my studies, I worked in industrial research at Bosch and - even back then, 25 years ago - I was involved with artificial intelligence. After that, I wanted to go into development and was responsible for algorithms for distance sensors. To be closer to the customer, I moved to Autoliv into series development for sensors. I enjoyed working with the clients so much that I wanted to intensify that. I then moved to the sales department at Motorola-Automotive - almost nobody still knows these days that Motorola not only developed mobile phones, but also electronics for vehicles. Continental took over the company in 2006. Since then, I have worked in various sensor divisions at Continental.

So you were at Continental for around 16 years. A long time with many career steps. What was your motivation to switch to HELLA now?

I wanted to do something new again and to get to know other product areas that Continental does not offer; I wanted to get out of my comfort zone once again. You mentioned 'many career steps' in your question. To me, it doesn't feel like that at all. I'm simply curious and now I had the desire to familiarise myself once again with a completely new technical area. Lighting technology is incredibly exciting for me and I am very happy that I now have to deal with products that you can also see (laughs).

You had already outlined that you have a lot of experience in the automotive sector. Did you already have any connections with lighting systems?

Indeed, I have spent the last 25 years working mainly in the electronics sector, dealing with control units and sensors of all kinds and gaining a wide range of experience in sales. I am a newcomer in the headlamp business and depend on the expertise of the staff. But in my 25 years I have learned the following: If you take care of management and business topics, the individual topics may be highly different - in the lighting sector, for example, it's also a lot about design and change management with customers. But at the end of the day, automotive business is automotive business. And that is precisely my main expertise.

What can employees expect when working with you? In any case, you do bring a sense of humour with you.

I'd rather call someone than write an email. I also tend to be someone who approaches employees directly and does not always take hierarchical levels into account. Hierarchy is not so important to me. I would like to talk to the topic experts in person. And employees can also talk to me at any time in case of problems. But one thing is important to me: I see myself as a team player, as one of many who has an opinion and asks a lot in order to understand. If there is one thing I have noticed over the years, it is that a top-down boss gets a team of yes-men. That’s what I don't want. The knowledge comes from the organisation, it doesn't come from me. Success is always a team effort and not the contribution of one individual. That is my leadership philosophy.

Is there already something that has caught your attention that you would like to address as soon as possible?

We need to bring the headlamps team together more - that's my impression after the first few days. We have to take care that the team grows close again, and I mean that emotionally as well as spatially. Hardly anyone sits on my floor here in Lippstadt; everyone is spatially dispersed. I am convinced that if we bring people together again, then life and a stronger sense of "we" will emerge here again.

Finally, a bit more of a private question: What information about you is not on your CV?

There are many things, of course (laughs). It is perhaps interesting that my wife is Spanish and we are in Spain very often. That's one reason why we live in Frankfurt. The proximity to the airport is very important for us. I also love Spanish cuisine and so I am actually the cook at home as well. I have already copied many recipes from my mother-in-law (laughs). In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and eight-year-old daughter, otherwise I actively play tennis and ride my mountain bike.​​