5 questions for...Jens Schulte

How would you describe yourself in 2-3 sentences? What do you stand for?
I am a positive thinker for whom respect, openness, integrity, appreciation and freedom play a major role. In addition to finance, I am particularly interested in green transformation and diversity & inclusion. D&I is - in my opinion - still an underestimated driver for improving performance in companies, because diverse teams bring the greatest success.

Could you tell us about your most important career stages in the financial sector?
After graduating, I initially worked for several years at McKinsey and Goldman Sachs in investment banking. I then moved to Siemens in 2002, where I held various positions. One of my most exciting projects was the merger between the telecommunications equipment divisions of Siemens and Nokia to form Nokia Siemens Networks. I then spent six years at Hilti, a leading supplier of products to the construction industry, most recently as Global Head of Finance. That was an exciting time for me, especially because of the internal cultural development process. Then, in 2016, I started at Schott in Mainz. Specialty glass is one of the energy-intensive materials industries, very similar to steel. Until I joined thyssenkrupp as CFO, I was responsible for finance, IT, purchasing, mergers & acquisitions and the green transformation. In this role, I was responsible for the IPO - the initial public offering - of the pharma division last year. Incidentally, that was just a few months after the thyssenkrupp nucera IPO.

What first steps are you planning in your new role as CFO at thyssenkrupp?
First of all, I am very happy to finally be part of the thyssenkrupp team. Even before I started, I had already spoken to many different people about thyssenkrupp and the current situation. All in all, they were good and motivating conversations, but they didn't gloss over anything.
And that is particularly important in our current situation. Because: despite a challenging economic environment, we have to improve our financial performance, especially our free cash flow. Why is this so important? Because it opens up options for us, e.g. for more investments, possible acquisitions, dividends to shareholders or a more future-oriented structure for the Group. All of this is difficult as long as too much cash is flowing out of the company. I will focus on this together with the businesses and the finance team.

Would you please tell us a little bit more about Jens Schulte as a private person?
My family is my center of strength. I have a wonderful wife and a 12-year-old son. We live together in Wiesbaden. My wife and I like art and we enjoy dancing. I also have a passion for motorsport. I don't do that professionally, but I regularly take part in trackdays at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife and at Spa-Francorchamps.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the Ruhr region and could you imagine moving here?
I was born in the region - in Wuppertal to be precise - and therefore have a lot of personal connections. And even though Wuppertal is not directly in the Ruhr area, my family and I feel at home here. I always notice this when I drive over here: talking to the baker really fills my heart. However, as our son goes to school in Wiesbaden, the family will stay there for the time being and I will move into an apartment here in the region.