I have had a special affinity for Italy since I did my community service there after school – and especially because I met my wife during a research semester in Rome. Back in Berlin, however, I didn’t find any interesting employment in industry after completing my doctorate in 2009. So I did my postdoctorate at Columbia University in New York, and that is when I came into contact with BASF’s catalysis research in Iselin. This led me to Ludwigshafen, where I started in oxidation catalysis and did classical research for five years. I enjoyed this tangible kind of industrial research, which you can’t learn in this form at any university. After that, I moved to Group Strategy, where my focus was on strategic processes and investment projects. For my next step, I wanted to take on commercial responsibility, and I got it in the field of vitamin A for animal nutrition. It was a very intense time with a great team, and I had a steep learning curve. I then took on management responsibility by going back to research and accepting a position as group leader. However, after a good year and a half, I became more and more convinced that the setup of the group was not ideal. In the end, this led to the group being divided up more sensibly and I rationalized my own job away. While I was still looking for a follow-up job, I learned that a division was looking for a site manager in Italy. Since October I have been responsible for two locations in Villanova and Zingonia, and I now live with my family in Turin.
