Introducing Anja, our featured employee of the month from Nissens!

We had the opportunity to conduct a short Q&A with Anja S?rensen , who holds the position of Customer Value Director at Nissens Automotive A/S. In her role, she carries the vital responsibility of representing the voice of customers within Nissens headquarters and operations. Boasting over 20 years of dedication to the automotive aftermarket, Anja generously shared her professional journey, guiding us through the experiences that have molded her into her present role.

ABOUT YOU

• Could you tell us a bit about your background? (Place of birth, age, education…)

My name is Anja Soerensen, I was born in Horsens-Denmark and I’m 50 years old, married with a 14-year-old daughter.

After high school I started my commercial education as Sales Trainee at Nissens headquarters in Denmark. I was then hired by the company and handled various commercial positions for 10 years as Sales Area responsible.

Then I took the opportunity to move to Spain and became Managing Director for Nissens Iberia.

After 10 years I moved back to Denmark as Customer Value Director, reporting into our Vice-President Sales.

ABOUT THE AFTERMARKET

• How would you describe the Aftermarket to someone who has never heard of this industry?

The Automotive Aftermarket is designed to ensure the fulfillment of all spare parts needed for vehicles on the road. The Aftermarket is composed of the OES which is the car-makers spare-parts channel and the Independent Aftermarket which serves independent and network garages.

The Independent Aftermarket consists of manufacturers and distributors who provide flexible & economic solutions to retailers & installers. It’s a competitive environment, yet with a “family” atmosphere and intensive contacts among people.

ABOUT YOU & THE AFTERMARKET

• How did you become aware of, and why did you choose the Aftermarket to work in?

I did not choose the Automotive Aftermarket; I was offered the opportunity of being a Sales Trainee at Nissens where my father had worked for many years. However, the choice to stay over 20 years in this business was not incidental and has multiple drivers:

• A highly competitive environment but with high human interaction in the supplier/customer relationship.
• Working for a highly recognized brand in a company with a very strong culture and ‘family’ company mindset.
• Growth and development opportunities offered along the years which enabled me to grow from sales trainee to a director position and to work in a global environment.

ABOUT YOUR COMPANY

• Which company are you working with & which type of job?

I’m currently Customer Value Director at Nissens.

In this position, I carry the voice of our customers inside Nissens headquarters & operations.

My goal is to ensure that we fulfill our market promises of superior availability, high supply performance, high quality standards, fast response to questions & issues. It’s about living up to our motto “Delivering the difference”

It involves a high level of intimacy with sales colleagues and cooperation with all company departments. In this position I’m fully leveraging my extensive knowledge of the company processes and abilities.

A trusted colleague once summarized my function as being the cement of the organization; making sure all components of the company stick together and remain resistant to a challenging and changing environment.

It is highly motivating and rewarding for me to overcome challenges as a team, through inter-departmental cooperation.

ABOUT JOINING THE AFTERMARKET

• Why should somebody join this industry in your opinion?

The Automotive Aftermarket is a very dynamic industry, which has gone through accelerated transformations in the past 15 years. It’s a highly international environment with more and more multinational/global players and constantly increasing interactions among countries.

This industry has a bright future to continue to ensure people mobility with new and motivating challenges such as embedding sustainability in everything we do.

Finally, being a woman in this automotive world do fancy me too. It could sound challenge in a still “male-intensive” business but this industry welcomes everyone as long as you are professional and knowledgeable.

There should be more of us in here! And I can only invite more women to join and take the challenge!

ABOUT Nissens

Over the years, Nissens has invested significant resources in research on and development of engine cooling and climate system components for the automotive segment. More than 95 years of thermal know-how and manufacturing experience mean that Nissens are able to meet the needs for comprehensive range of high-quality spare parts, while?at the same time, being a market educator for technical insight into the systems field.

As a market leading manufacturer of most essential thermal system components, Nissens offers a comprehensive product portfolio with up to 97% car park coverage. Covering everything from the fast moving to the more exotic parts of the European, Asian and American vehicle brands, Nissens is the ideal choice for quality, range and expertise.?

Focusing on added features, such as ‘First Fit’ and ‘First to Market’, Nissens' partners in the IAM are always up to date and in line with the latest market trends, securing customers the right position for growing and developing their markets.