Ten years WIOSS France
–Interview with Thomas and Sophie
We asked two of our French colleagues about the ten-year anniversary for you: Thomas Ernst, our first colleague at WIOSS in France, and Sophie Martinet, who held the position of HR Manager for France for five years and now works for us as an international HR consultant.
Editorial Team (ET): How long have you been with the company, and in which position did your career in the WITRON Group begin?
Thomas: I've been with the company for over ten years now. I started as Site Manager at the first site in France, in Niederhergheim.
Sophie: I have been with WITRON for five years. I started as HR manager for France. It was the first head of HR position in France, which meant creating and structuring the French HR department while accompanying the company’s growth and employees’ recruitment & development on sites. Since sept 1st 2023, I am the international HR Specialist at WITRON.
ET: Thomas, how was your start at WITRON, being the first colleague in the OnSite Team?
Thomas: When I started, I was immersed in the WITRON culture and spirit by spending several weeks at the Parkstein headquarters. Then I visited and shared the experience of other colleagues at different sites in Europe and Canada.
ET: And how was it for you, Sophie, to start as HR manager in a company with their headquarters in Germany? The German mentality is a bit different than the French one, were there any teething problems?
Sophie: I have been working in different international companies before, so I am open to different working cultures. Additionally, I was also very well accompanied by Johannes Schweiger, Christian Dietl, and Thomas Ernst who helped me understand the WITRON culture in my first months with the company. I also learnt that it is important to pick up your phone rather than explaining things by e-mail. You avoid surprises this way.
ET: What progress have you been able to observe/enjoy since your beginnings at WITRON?
Thomas: Exchange, trust, evolution, and pragmatism (I had a good coach)
Sophie: Teamwork, organization, professionalism, and pragmatism… and more women in the organization which is also a good sign for the industrial world!
ET: What do you wish for the next ten years for WITRON in France and for the cooperation with the colleagues in Germany and also in the rest of the world?
Thomas: I'd like to do a number of things, and there's still a lot to learn, but the most important thing is exchange, communication, sharing, and respect.
Sophie: I wish that all employees could develop and thrive themselves in the WITRON organization, while showing respect and openness towards our colleagues, and vice versa because: WI care, and WI rock, too!
ET: Thank you so much, Sophie and Thomas, for your statements!
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