Dr. Kerstin Mitzka
Developers probably never forget the first product they were able to create. In my case it was a silicone wax for cosmetic products that melts at room temperature and leaves a pleasantly cooling effect on the skin. Even though it was a rather small project, I'm still proud of it!
Stick together when things get tight
The biggest challenge I’ve faced so far was working during a shortage of raw silicone materials that started toward th eend of 2017 and continued well into 2018. At the time, deliveries of raw materials were unreliable or didn’t arrive at all, which meant we were unable to produce our products according to plan. We worked under intense pressure to locate and test alternative suppliers and establish a process for procuring approved materials as quickly as possible while working closely across other departments. This experience was really enriching for all of us and I’m proud that we were able to continue offering our customers the best possible, high quality solution during that time.
What are your responsibilities at CHT?
My main area of responsibility is developing new products working closely with our technical service and sales teams as well as the production, process security and quality control teams. I’m also tasked with working to continue refining existing products, for example, if a product needs to fulfull additional requirements because new areas of use have been discovered. We also work with the strategic and operative purchasing deparments to test whether the quality of raw materials are suitable for our products.
What is working at CHT all about?
I find it particularly appealing that I have to deal with so many different areas within the company, which allows me to gain valuable insights into the work they do. That makes the work I do both challenging and interesting. I also have direct customer contact, which I also find very valuable because I always know first-hand what matters most to the customer so I can bear that in mind throughout the course of the project.
What kind of professional development have you done at CHT?
I’ve done a number professional seminars, but also seminars for personal development, like the Next Generation Leaders program with other junior managers from across CHT Group. I’ve participated in seminars like 7 Habits, Leadership and Project Management. In preparation for my stay abroad within the NGL program I also had the opportunity to learn Italian for three quarters of a year and then to work for three months at our sister company in Italy. That was a really valuable experience that enabled me to expand my horizons so I’m particularly grateful to have had that opportunity!
