Technology in Casablanca, Morocco
15 years
Head of Technology Maghreb
When I was born in 1981 in Grimma, Germany, near Leipzig, it was beyond my imagination that I might see the world. But as a trained miller, I was driven to leave Germany early on. At the young age of 24 (2006), I worked as a senior miller for a 1200-ton/24-hour mill in Lagos, Nigeria, for a Bühler customer. This is where I met Marcel Fischer, Area Sales Manager for Nigeria, and Walter Eugster, then Head of Process Engineering at Bühler. The two of them convinced me of the advantages of working at Bühler.
Thus, in 2009, I ended up as head miller at Bühler in Uzwil. I began my Bühler career as a 28-year old with further training as a German miller and Swiss milling technician at the Swiss Milling School. At the time, this further training was actually a requirement for employment at Bühler. But when I finished the training as the best in my year and won the Dr. René Bühler Prize, I was able to prove to everyone that it was not a mistake to hire me so early.
When I started, I worked as a senior miller in Uzwil. But just 18 months later, I was packing my bags again – this time to work as a senior miller in Singapore. Just three years later, I took on the role of Head of Technology in Manila, Philippines. I hadn't even had time to unpack my belongings properly before I was offered the exciting position of team leader in the senior miller's office in Uzwil. The opportunity had to be seized, so after twelve months in Manila I returned to beautiful Switzerland.
After seven years as a team leader in technology, I was hit by travel bug again. In connection with the new South-South strategy, I got the chance to go to Casablanca, Morocco in 2022. As the current Head of Technology for the Maghreb region, my tasks include building a strong local technology team and supporting the MAI region with my expertise.
I can certainly give great travel tips for exotic destinations, but I also have a wealth of experience in international removals. When it comes to things like that, I'm glad to have a strong woman at my side who is up for any adventure. For someone like me, finding the right lid is not that easy. For many years now, she has had my back and followed me around the world with our two boys – now 13 and 16 years old. It certainly takes nerves of steel and flexibility when your partner moves to Singapore two days after the birth of your second son to prepare for the next step in a career. For my children, experiences like this are a valuable opportunity to grow up to become true citizens of the world. As so-called third-culture kids, they enrich such special experiences and usually develop a particularly open and versatile way of thinking.
Even unconscious prejudices that one might have when coming into contact with unfamiliar cultures are usually not a problem for third-culture kids. But moving to Casablanca was not at the top of my wife's wish list. Now my family, our dog and cat love our sunny existence on the Atlantic coast, as we experience Morocco as an open country that accepts all cultures. This certainly makes it easier when the journey to a new country begins with an unplanned adventure, as your personal belongings are on the road for three months and have to overcome various customs hurdles. These are certainly the experiences that I will later tell my grandchildren about. After all, not everyone knows how you cope with everyday life with just a few suitcases and air mattresses. True to the motto – survival tips for free.
In addition to leaving friends and loved ones behind, there are other downsides to expat life. In some countries, you need special skills to survive. I had the rather unpleasant experience of discovering that there is no such thing as cutlery in Taiwan. I was there for a commissioning in 2010 and practised diligently with peanuts to learn how to use chopsticks. This enabled me to enjoy my meal before it got cold. Today, I have mastered chopstick eating perfectly. When in Rome, do as the Romans do – this saying has been proven true over and over again.
In Myanmar, for example, the first motor for a mill may only be started on a precisely predicted date. A Buddhist monk comes to determine this date, which is considered to bring good luck. After that, the machines are pelted with rice and water during the move, thus ensuring successful productivity in the future.
Maybe they should have done the same in Indonesia, where I once distributed 40 tons of flour among silo cells. Unfortunately, the pipes opened, and it snowed flour. The subsequent days of shoveling certainly gave the customer's employees a good muscle ache.
My passion for my job and for milling remains as strong as ever. It's a great feeling to be able to see a project through from start to finish. Perhaps the support of colleagues and friends that I experienced during my first project – a 300-tonne mill in Myanmar, for which I had sole responsibility – was crucial to my developing this passion. It is an indescribable moment when you start the mill after weeks of hard teamwork and the first flour is produced. And in the end, you have made another customer satisfied. My advice to everyone is that there is always a way. Never give up and stop over-thinking. Just do it and everything will turn out fine in the end.
That's no longer what my working day in Morocco looks like. In recent years, I've been able to build up a great team here and am part of something new. I really like that. I'm close to the customer and support the region with my expertise. In recent years, we've been able to win almost all major projects and expand our market share. This is certainly also due to the young, motivated team and the trusting cooperation. Even though there are nerve-wracking projects for very demanding customers, I enjoy the expat life and the beautiful blue skies.
As a motorcycle enthusiast, I really appreciate the area around here. I can really live it up here on my enduro and motocross. And what could be better than exploring secluded beaches by motorcycle. I feel great when I ride my motorcycle to the office in the morning. Sipping a cup of tea in peace before the phone and colleagues break the silence is the perfect start to my working day. Things usually get hectic after that, but depending on my stress level, I might be able to switch off with an extra lap on my motorcycle on the way home and enjoy the evening with my loved ones.
Growing up in the former GDR, I would never have imagined being able to go jogging on a beach in Morocco. Maybe one day I'll even have the chance to meet our CEO Stefan Scheiber while I'm out running and get to know him over a refreshing beer. Otherwise, I'm very lucky to have so much support in both my personal and professional life. I'm looking forward to seeing where the journey takes me next.
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
