【People in Porsche Taiwan】

CEO, Christian Nater | Chapter 2

When Christian joined Porsche in 1997, its business was emerging from a critical period: After a slump in sales, it had got its groove back with the launch of the Boxster the previous year. Its next move would be a make-or-break moment for the company.

Porsche only sold two models at the time — the other being the iconic 911 — but that wasn’t enough. It needed a third. The management set out with an audacious strategy to recapture market share: It would launch a sports utility vehicle.

Observers were mystified. Why would Porsche - a marque synonymous with elegant European luxury – take its cue from the American SUV market? Some staff at Porsche were sceptical too.

But Christian volunteered to work on the then-unnamed car, a joint project with Volkswagen known only by its codename, Project Colorado. While others were content to play it safe among Porsche’s legendary sports cars, his career took off — as did the company’s future.

"If I've learned one thing in my career, it's that you should raise your hand if others are not raising theirs," says Christian.

Working on every aspect of the launch from start to finish, he gained an insight in how a new model reaches the market. Despite the challenge, it became clear that the gamble would pay off commercially.

The launch was a big hit with consumers and has since become a mainstay of Porsche's product line. The millionth model rolled off the production lines in 2020.

Christian says the experience taught him a valuable lesson. He urges younger colleagues to remember that while it may be natural to hesitate, it’s vital to think critically about the advice they are receiving, whether from their supervisor, their family, or their peers, and determine for themselves whether it is really correct.

"It's really necessary to think big, and step back a bit to see the big picture," he says. "It's okay to follow other people's advice, but still be critical, and question them from time to time - and be willing to take risks." At Porsche, the world is open for those who can hold their nerve.

Read more: 20 Years Porsche Cayenne - Porsche Newsroom

當 Christian 於 1997 年加入保時捷時，這個品牌正處於關鍵崛起時期，當時銷售成績下滑，雖然 Boxster 車款的推出，讓銷售成績稍稍找回節奏，但這是這家公司未來成敗的關鍵時刻。

除了新推出的 Boxster，保時捷另一款車是經典的 911，但一個品牌只有兩款車型當然還不夠，亟需第三款車來提昇銷售表現，於是他們做出一項大膽的策略─為這個跑車品牌打造一款全新休旅車。

市場觀察家們非常困惑，為什麼保時捷如此優雅的歐洲豪華品牌，會從在美國市場中熱賣的 SUV 得到啟示？甚至當時部分保時捷員工也抱持懷疑態度。

但 Christian 則自願參與這輛當時未命名的新車計畫，這是一項與福斯汽車合作的項目，當時也只有代號「Project Colorado」。當大部分人滿足於在保時捷傳奇跑車的範圍，Christian 的職涯─或是更誇張地說，整個公司的未來都要起飛了！

Christian 說「在我職涯中學到一件事，就是當其他人都沒有舉手時，就是你挺身自願的時機了。」

而這款產品最後受到市場的熱列歡迎，甚至成為日後保時捷的重點產品之一，2020年時保時捷慶祝第一百萬台Cayanne下線生產。

Christian 說參與這個計畫，是他職業與人生中極重要的一課，他也鼓勵年輕的從業人員，每個人都有可能猶豫與躊躇不前的時刻，也可能接受到來自主管、家人與同事的建議，但最重要的是需要自己判斷，這些決定是否正確。

「大膽思考、退後一點看看大局」他說「你當然可以跟隨其他人的建議，但要保持批判思考，持續質疑這些問題與它們的解決方案，同時勇於冒險。」在保時捷，世界會對沈住氣又能大膽冒險的人開放。

認識 Cayenne 完整歷史：20 Years Porsche Cayenne - Porsche Newsroom