A world of opportunities

In 2000, my family and I moved to Sydney, Australia, where I took up a new role at GF Piping Systems as Head of Operations. I was 30 years old and very excited for this adventure – especially in such a remote location for someone who grew up in Europe. Many years later, I am able to look back to that experience with fondness and good memories.?

A similar leap is what brought Rina Hoshino , a?Marketing Project Manager at GF, to this side of the ocean. I recently saw Rina, who grew up in New York, during a visit at GF Machining Solutions in Biel/Bienne, where she moved last August after a 10-year long career at GF in America. Rina, a civil engineer by training, joined GFPS in Irvine, California and then moved to GFMS in Chicago before embarking on her European experience at the division's Swiss headquarters. As a young, open-minded and passionate colleague, Rina found many open doors at GF.

"The opportunities to learn and discover the world are among the best aspects of working at GF", Rina said. "So far, I have seen the majority of the major cities throughout the US during my first decade with GF." Rina, who is also a passionate musician and backpack traveler, is often in contact with customers of GF Machining Solutions in the medical, aerospace and automotive industries, among others. "Visiting customers has been a valuable experience to me, listening to their successes with GF products or suggestions for ways we can improve has changed the way I work and I always keep the customer in mind in everything that I do."

I agree with Rina that customer-centricity is the key to progress in a world dominated by near-constant technological change. The willingness to work closely together, and put customers at the core of our business, is how 乔治费歇尔 builds loyalty and creates value. A prerequisite for this is that GF people keep having an open mind, remain willing to learn and get ready to jump into any experience -- whether it is a new life around the world, another responsibility within GF, or a new customer need that needs to be met.

In this series, GF CEO Andreas Müller exchanges insights about the GF business and culture with employees he meets around the world, sharing thoughts, ideas and experiences.