【People in Porsche Taiwan】
CEO, Christian Nater | Chapter 3
As the Cayenne took the global auto market by storm, Christian’s interest in experiencing new cultures grew stronger. Since his university days, he had kindled a desire to strike out on journeys to foreign countries, living in a foreign language and touring unknown roads.
As this desire burned stronger, the rapidly-growing markets of Asia gave him the chance he needed. He hasn’t looked back.? “Honestly, this is the journey of my life,” he says.
An opportunity came up on an overseas business trip for a short-term consulting project with the management of Porsche's Tokyo office, drawing on Christian’s extensive product knowledge. The experience was "eye-opening," he says. A longer posting in Asia with his family was the logical next step, and before long another door opened in South Korea.
Embracing the nuances of working in Asia required a respect for different cultures and an open-mindedness that colleagues are quick to praise. "I'm very grateful for a team who can provide feedback to me," Christian says. "It's not always that easy."
Work culture in Germany tends to be more direct than in Asia, so Christian cultivated listening sessions with staff, making himself available for one-on-one conversations in his office for those colleagues who were less inclined to speak up in group settings. That approachability is key to Porsche’s work culture, he says, and part of its success too.
"When you start at Porsche, maybe you don't have a manager's title, but people are listening to you," Christian says. Even as a "newbie", you can have your own voice, he says. "Porsche is a place where you can bring in your own ideas."
And he has found as many differences between South Korea and Taiwan as there are similarities. Christian highlights the dynamism and energy of his Asian colleagues: While the Seoul office is made up of almost entirely local staff, the Taipei team is comprised of more than ten nationalities, with an average age of 35.
And of course, travel has also brought spectacular driving opportunities. Christian often spends weekend mornings coasting along the mountains around Taipei for breakfast with friends, or tearing along the old roads crossing to neighbouring Yilan county on the island's Pacific coast in his 911. "It's delightful," he says. "Taiwan is a beauty.?
In October last year, Christian and his family set off on a driving tour of Taiwan with a twist, navigating the circumference of the entire island from Taipei to Kaohsiung and back. Or, as it's known in Chinese: 環島 (huándǎo).
For many, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a way to absorb the island's breathtaking scenery.?
But for Christian, there was another objective too: To complete the entirety of the 968-km?journey in an electric vehicle. “We’re living here on a beautiful island,” he says, adding that companies like Porsche which commit to Taiwan must also respect the natural environment.
His fully electric Taycan saloon took full advantage of Porsche's charging infrastructure across the island. "I wanted to experience this for myself, as a customer?," Christian says. Porsche is unique among carmarkers selling internal combustion engines, he says, in also attempting to create an anxiety-free environment for drivers of its battery-powered vehicles wherever they go in Taiwan.
Christian describes a major shift in today's market since he entered the industry 26 years ago: Consumers want the "peace of mind" of knowing that their car is engineered to the highest environmental standard. "You cannot provide a luxurious product like a Porsche without taking care of sustainability," he says.
The company is pioneering development of synthetic fuels and has said it will make 80% of its new vehicles all-electric by 2030. This year the focus is on the new Cayenne, and next year the spotlight will turn to the Macan electric SUV, Christian says.
It's essential for Porsche's values to evolve over time if they are to meet its promise to its customers, he says. "We have a very unique position in this industry. We do not just sell a product or a service," he says. "We fulfill other peoples' dreams."
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當 Cayenne 在全球汽市掀起風暴時，Christian 對體驗新文化的興趣越來越強烈。從他的大學時代起，他就有強烈在國外環境與語境中生活的渴望，並期待探遊未知領域。
隨著這種渴望越來越強烈，亞洲市場的迅速成長給了他渴望以久的機會。他沒有任何猶豫，「老實說，這是我一生的旅程」他說。
在一次海外商務旅行中出現了機會，這是與東京保時捷辦公室的管理層合作的短期咨詢工作，憑藉 Christian 廣泛的產品知識。他說這次經歷「令人大開眼界」。攜家帶眷來到亞洲工作感覺是合理的選擇，不久在韓國又獲得了全新的工作機會。
在不同國家工作需要尊重文化多元性，並保持開放心態，很快就能獲取同事的認同與友誼。「我非常感謝能向我提供反饋的團隊」Christian 說，「當然，這並不總是那麼容易」 德國的工作文化比亞洲更直接，所以 Christian 時常舉辦小型會議，讓在大型會議中鮮少發言的員工，能與主管有一對一交流機會。他說，這種密切接觸是保時捷工作文化的關鍵，也是這個品牌成功的原因之一。
「當你在保時捷工作，即使你沒有經理頭銜，但人們會認真聆聽你說的話」Christian 說，即使你是個「新手」，你也絕對擁有發言的權力，「保時捷是個可以讓你帶入自己想法的地方。」
他發現韓國和台灣之間有許多不同之處。Christian 對亞洲同事的活力和能量印象深刻，首爾辦公室幾乎全部由當地員工組成，而台北團隊則由超過十個國籍組成，且平均年齡僅 35 歲。
當然，海外工作也為Christian帶來美好的駕車體驗。他經常在周末早上沿著台北周圍的山區漫遊、與朋友們相約吃早餐，開著 911 沿著通往宜蘭的太平洋海岸道路奔馳。「真是愉快」他說「台灣真美！」
去年十月 Christian 與家人展開台灣自駕遊之旅，在台北到高雄在回到北部，正如中文所稱：環島。對許多人來說，這是千載難逢的經歷，也能親身感受這個島嶼令人歎為觀止的美。
對 Christian 來說這個旅程還有另一個目標：駕駛純電車款完成 968 公里的旅程。「我們住在一個美麗的島嶼上」他說，並補充道「保時捷落腳台灣的同時，我們也絕對尊重自然環境。」
他的純電Taycan充分利用了保時捷環島規劃的充電設施。「我想以客戶身分親身體驗純電生活」Christian 說。保時捷在傳統引擎車款世界是獨一無二的，但同時，我們也期望在台灣為純電車主創造無焦慮的使用環境。
Christian 認為自他 26 年前入行以來到今天市場的重大轉變：消費者希望獲得「安心感」，期望購買的車是按照最高標準設計製造，他說「你不可能提供像保時捷這樣的奢華產品，卻沒顧及後勤技術支援」
他並表示，保時捷正在開發合成燃料車款，並將在 2030 年前達到 80% 電動化的發展目標。今年重點是全新 Cayenne，明年焦點將轉向純電版本 Macan。
「保時捷的價值觀將與時俱進，持續滿足對客戶的承諾」他說「我們在這個行業中擁有非常獨特的地位。不只是銷售產品或服務，更重要的，我們實現客戶的夢想！」