KION Management Trainees Work Abroad

Larissa Heinz, KION HR Management Trainee

Where are you currently based, and how are you supporting local colleagues?

For my international placement, I not only changed country, but also Operating Unit. Since the middle of July, I have been working for KION subsidiary Dematic at its Global Headquarters in Atlanta. I’m part of the global Talent Development & Organizational Change team. The team works on a wide variety of tasks—ranging from developing training and global talent programs to the topics of leadership and change. Alongside set projects, I have also had the opportunity to become involved in extremely varied activities of my own choosing.

What has been your favorite experience, both at work and in your host country?

I really love how well my team at Dematic manages to collaborate virtually. Even though the team is spread along the entire east coast of the USA, and the members very rarely meet in person, there is a very close team atmosphere, we know each other well, and have a trusting collaboration. A particular highlight for me was the opportunity to visit a construction site. We were given a tour on site and learned more about the Dematic installation process and the challenges during construction. I also had the opportunity to do lots of creative work, which I really enjoyed. I’m proud to know that my work created added value and will be seen by many Dematic colleagues around the world. In my free time, I did lots of exploring in Atlanta. I also went traveling a couple of times. Walking through New York in bright sunshine and 22 degree temperatures on my birthday was a unique experience which I will definitely never forget.

How has your international experience affected your approach to your work?

Here in the USA, everything is a bit faster. As a result, I’ve learned to get on with things, even with less information or planning. This was something that I found difficult, particularly at the start. I have also enjoyed the change in perspective from the KION Group Headquarters to the Operating Unit. The issues that really get people fired up are completely different. I’m sure that my deeper understanding of why things are managed in a particular way at Dematic will help me later in my job at KION Headquarters. I hope that my international experience will help to enhance mutual understanding between the business divisions and HQ, and that communication can be intensified even further. These insights have been the highlight of the trainee program for me, and I think they provide unique added value for the company.

What do you think of the opportunity to spend part of your traineeship abroad?

It has been a real bonus. In fact, this aspect of the program is the main reason why I applied for the KION Management Trainee Program in the first place. I find it exciting to become immersed in a different culture. KION is an international group with different brands and sectors, and employs colleagues from more than 100 countries. Every country has its own customs and culture. I think it’s really important to be open to learning about and understanding different customs, in order to be able to collaborate with trust and mutual comprehension.

How did KION support you with planning your placement?

Planning a placement abroad takes a lot of time. My mentor Caroline Staudinger supported me in deciding on a destination country and specific function for my placement abroad. She then set up the first contact with the responsible colleague at the location, and facilitated the first introductions. After we had established the destination and dates, we then proceeded to the visa process relatively quickly. This took some time, since I was the first participant in the trainee program to go the USA for their international placement. When it came to looking for accommodation, I got some tips about neighborhoods from third-generation trainees based in Atlanta. This was a great help when I was looking for a suitable apartment.

Can you sum up your international experience in one sentence?

Gratitude—for the people I was able to meet; the projects I could develop; the insights I gained; the experiences that have shaped me personally; and for the KION Trainee Program that made it all possible in the first place.

Louis Bohner, KION Intralogistics Aftersales Management Trainee

Where are you currently based, and how are you supporting local colleagues?

At the moment, I’m with Linde Iberia in Barcelona. I’m supporting colleagues with a variety of projects, primarily in the areas of reporting and process optimization and automation. In some of these projects, I’m really benefiting from my previous placements and from my first international placement at Baoli EMEA in Milan. At Baoli, I was able to work in management reporting and supply chain projects, and I worked on marketing for the acquisition of new dealers.

What has been your favorite experience, both at work and in your host country?

In Italy and now in Spain, solving problems together with my colleagues has been what I have enjoyed most. When we finally arrive, after a few adjustments, at a finished, completely automated process that will save us lots of time and stress, it’s always a really great feeling. During this work and also in general, I find it really exciting to get to know the mentality of the people in these countries. They are really open and love to share their evenings together after work—no matter whether this is in the week or at weekends. And Barcelona, where I am currently based, offers everything the heart could desire: the sea, the mountains, culture, history, food. And as a soccer fan it is of course amazing to be able to visit the San Siro and Camp Nou stadiums.

How has your international experience affected your approach to your work?

After working at Linde Material Handling Headquarters in Aschaffenburg, it’s really interesting to learn about approaches to work and the challenges of working in a national subsidiary. At Baoli, for example, it’s easier and quicker to drive forwards organizational changes and improvements. We at Linde and Still could learn from this speediness. I have become fundamentally aware that it always makes sense to collaborate with colleagues from different countries and different brands, because they have often already found a solution for a similar problem.

What do you think of the opportunity to spend part of your traineeship abroad?

I’m certain I wouldn’t have benefited so much from my traineeship without the opportunity to spend time abroad. On the one hand, I have got to know lots of people from different countries, which has given me a better understanding of the company. My network has grown enormously over a short period of time, and after my placement in Italy, I always know who to contact about certain issues now in Spain. On the other hand, experiencing the different working philosophies in these countries has helped to improve and develop my own. I really think that I will be able to offer the company lots of added value thanks to my placements in different departments and companies.

How did KION support you with planning your placement?

There’s lots to think about if you are allowed to spend a few months working in another country: For example, even the legal guidelines are often not apparent for laypeople like myself. KION supported me perfectly right from the start. Everything was made as easy as possible for me, both in Germany and in the host countries, so that I could concentrate on my work and on living in a new country, without having to deal with unnecessary bureaucracy.

Can you sum up your international experience in one sentence?

The highlight of my trainee program at KION!

The KION Management Trainee Program places an emphasis on networking, and offers up-and-coming talents the unique opportunity to gain experience at international sites. Following in the footsteps of Larissa and Louis, two further trainees started placements abroad in November. Find out how they got on in March.

Interested in finding out more? Visit the KION Management Trainee page .