Sparks Electrical News April 2015

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Personality of the Month

It always seems impossible until it’s done

BG: The greatest changes have been the rapid technological progress and the development of social media platforms. The‘Internet of Things’ is fast changing the world as we know it. Smart devices allow interconnected communication betweenmachines, objects or humans, and are able to trigger automated responses – provid- ing challenges as well as significant commercial opportunities. This significantly impacts all major industries and a mind shift and process change is needed to deal with this phenomenon. I believe this is not an evolution but a revolution. Sparks: What major projects have you worked on and what is your greatest accomplishment? BG: In Germany, I was responsible for the global marketing activities within the Bosch Lawn and Garden product portfolio. Amajor project was developing the concept for the company’s partici- pation at the GAFA fair in Cologne, which is one of the biggest garden and tool fairs in the world. I worked with the Bosch advertising agency to develop a new global marketing campaign for our electric garden tool range, which included TV, print and point-of-sale (POS) activities. I have enjoyed working with a teamof top class professionals to successfully drive sales growth in southern Africa. Sparks: Have you won any awards? BG: The Power Tool division evaluates quarterly submissions from all marketing and sales divi- sions globally. The competition is tough, however, the South African teamhas won a number of awards for outstanding sales growth, new cus- tomer acquisitions and creative sales concepts. Sparks: Who has been your inspiration or have you had a mentor who has influenced your career? BG: I consider Derick Dreyer as my mentor. He was the power tool sales director for many years and retired 2008. In a nutshell, people and actions inspire me: fromordinary people and great lead- ers to strong competitors and colleagues as well as my wife and children. Sparks: What, to your mind, is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry at this time? BG: I would say that the lack of accountability is a major challenge. Sparks: What do you enjoy most about your job? BG: It sounds like a cliché but it’s really about people. I enjoy playing a part in improving our

type of guy. Nevertheless, I do have plans to spend a romantic holiday inVenice withmy wife (the kids stay at home!); and to retire and relocate to one of South Africa’s beautiful coastal regions. I’ll keep the third space open because wish lists change as life moves you along.

internal competencies and being able to experi- ence the personal growth of individuals in the Bosch teamwhile achieving success by matching products, service and excellence with customer expectations and user requirements. Sparks: How do youmotivate your staff?

BG: I motivate the staff by caring about them, showing appreciation for work well done and taking the time to actively coach people. Sparks: If you could‘do it all again’, would you change anything? If so, what would that be? BG: As a global company, Bosch is active in numer- ous markets and offers many opportunities and, especially in the early stages of my career, I would have consciously used those op- portunities to broadenmy experience by working in different divisions. Sparks: Would you advise a person leaving school to en- ter the electrical industry? And why? BG: I believe that a career in the electrical industry should be on top of the list of employment options because this industry offers a wide range of career op- portunities. Sparks: What is your advice to electrical contractors and/or electrical engineers? BG: Use professional power tools. Sparks: What is your favourite quote? BG: “It always seems impos- sible until it’s done.”- Nelson Mandela. Sparks: Name three things on your‘bucket list’(things you want to do before you ‘kick the bucket’). BG: I amnot a bucket list

Burkhard Grensemann.

THISmonth’s personality is Burkhard Grensemann, the newly appointed country sales director for the Bosch Power Tool division at Robert Bosch in Midrand. After 24 years with Bosch, Burkhard’s suc- cess is tied to the fact that he is a champion of the brand and passionate about marketing. A strategic thinker, Burkhard identifies his vision for the company, articulates this concept to the sales team and inspires them to work together towards a common goal. He motivates his team by empowering themwith appropriate strate- gies, guiding without controlling and leading by example. A great communicator and facilitator, Burkhard inspires respect by‘walking the talk’. Sparks: Where were you educated? BG: I studied at the University of Applied Sci- ences Pforzheim in the state of BadenWuerttem- berg , near to Stuttgart, Germany. Sparks: How long have you been involved in the electrical industry? BG: I have worked for the Bosch Power Tool divi- sion in Germany and in South Africa for 24 years in various marketing and sales positions. Sparks: When and where did you start your career? BG: In 1992, I startedmy career at the Bosch Power Tool headquarters in Leinfelden-Echter- dingen 10 km south of Stuttgart. Sparks: What are the greatest changes you have seen over the years?

A fusion of design and purpose

Vasili Kourelos (Legrand Concept Store direc- tor); Luk Ivens (general manager, Legrand SA); and Mark Seftel (Legrand Concept Store director) celebrate at the opening of the new- est Legrand Concept Store in Maboneng – a trendy district in central Johannesburg. Kourelos says the Legrand Concept Store represents “a fusion of design and purpose to re-imagine the use of power, light and data in the built environment” and focuses on providing solutions for engineers, architects, developers and end-users across all sectors. “The site for the new showroom, located on Fox Street in the heart of the Maboneng precinct, was chosen as it is an up-and-coming area that is design-focused and represents the true nature of an African City,” says Kourelos, adding that the area is “an entrepreneurial hub with a great energy and sense of optimism”. Enquiries: +27 11 592 0507

Optimize logistics. Connect to Control.

With its new contactor and motor control range, ABB has reduced the number of contactor coils from 45 to 4 and the number of product variants has been reduced by as much as 90%. New tech- nology adds functionality in addition to simplified stockholding and reduced administration costs. www.abb.co.za/lowvoltage

ABB South Africa (Pty) Ltd Tel. +27 10 202 5000 E-mail: LP@za.abb.com

april 2015

sparks 2013/09/06 01:57:15 PM ELECTRICAL NEWS

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