Volker Herdin

Mr. Volker Herdin, Managing Director Commercial Administration of Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, spoke on the topic "Digitalization leads to an improved cost structure at Brose".

The Brose Group is a family-owned global automotive supplier with more than 24,000 employees and a turnover of around €5 billion. Brose develops and produces innovative mechatronic systems for vehicle doors and seats as well as electric motors at around 60 locations in 23 countries. The theme of "lean & green & connected" is deeply rooted in the Brose Group. The Coburg-based family-owned company works according to the positive error principle, which means that those who make mistakes, including their own, are rewarded. Employees' creativity is given space in "idea rooms" specially equipped with tools and materials, where ideas can be implemented immediately. A "lean" organization and lean processes are implemented at Brose not only in production, but also in quality assurance, purchasing and start-up management. In addition, Brose's manufacturing processes are environmentally friendly and its products are recyclable. At the company, sustainability begins as early as the product development stage.

Mr. Volker Herdin studied industrial engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Würzburg/Schweinfurt. He began his professional career at Brose in 1995 as a product controller at the Coburg location. In 1996, Mr. Herdin moved to Brose's North American headquarters in Detroit, USA. After holding various management positions, he took over commercial management for the North America region in 1999. Since 2009, Mr. Herdin has been responsible for the commercial tasks of the Motors business division in Würzburg. Since 1 July 2012, Volker Herdin has been responsible for the Brose Group's commercial tasks: controlling, finance, organization, taxes and information systems as well as legal affairs.

Status: Beginning of 2016