Mark*, what brought you to Cremer Speci­aal­ma­chines?

Since I grad­u­ated in 1993, I have worked in various posi­tions and compa­nies in the manu­fac­turing industry. Not in too many, though, because I believe you can make more of a differ­ence by staying with one orga­ni­za­tion for a longer time as you know your colleagues, the market and the customers more in-depth. And I am the kind of person who enjoys making things happen. But at the end of 2021, a head­hunter contacted me about an inter­esting posi­tion, although he was not allowed to reveal the name of the company. This piqued my curiosity, so I went to a first job inter­view in Düssel­dorf. During the conver­sa­tion with the CEO of the Uhlmann Group, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Niemeyer, and the head of HR, Gert Jaudas, I soon real­ized that it was a good fit on a personal level and in terms of my inter­ests.

What exactly appealed to you about the posi­tion at Cremer in Lisse?

I like the fact that even though Cremer is part of a large group, the atmos­phere at both Cremer and Uhlmann is still very warm and friendly. There is a “getting things done” mentality at Cremer, and this is also evident in the way we all work together closely as a commu­nity. More­over my role is quite broad and contains oper­a­tional, tactical and strate­gical aspects.

What were your first days like at Cremer?

Before I joined Cremer, I was working for the world’s market leader in machines for grading and packing eggs. Tech­ni­cally speaking, this is not so far removed from Cremer’s line of busi­ness. But when you start a new job, you natu­rally also have to get to know people, the colleagues and the customers, and the prod­ucts. The first few months were quite intense, but everyone was very helpful!

Have you got to know all the staff at Cremer yet?

I’m the kind of person who likes getting out and about in the company, and I believe in the open-door concept. So, yes, I have, actu­ally, met them all. But seeing as there’s almost 200 of us, it’s impos­sible to know everyone’s name – although I do make an effort to learn them by looking at the photos and names on notice­boards around the company.

My under­standing of lead­er­ship is caring for people, listening to them, and leading by example.

Mark van der Wolf, Managing Director Cremer

Personal contact and open­ness seem to be impor­tant to you. What else char­ac­ter­izes your lead­er­ship style?

To me, lead­er­ship is about coaching. We have talented and committed people at Cremer. My job, of course, is to constantly work toward improving our processes, prod­ucts and services – and also the way we work together. Team­work – along with inno­va­tion and reli­a­bility – is one of our core values. My under­standing of lead­er­ship is caring for people, listening to them, and leading by example. But it also involves making clear and trans­parent deci­sions.

Can you give us an example of how your lead­er­ship style affects everyday life at Cremer?

Well, for one thing, we hold regular meet­ings with all our employees where we talk about how things are currently going, any successes we can cele­brate, any issues we need to be concerned about or address, and the chal­lenges that lie ahead. I believe in trans­parency and open­ness.

What kind of chal­lenges is Cremer facing today?

They are basi­cally the same ones facing nearly every company: shortage of skilled labour, supply chain bottle­necks, and much higher raw mate­rial and energy prices.

And how is Cremer responding to these chal­lenges?

We are responding by contin­u­ously adapting and remaining flex­ible and creative. When so many things come together, like they are doing at present, it’s crucial to be able to act swiftly and adapt to the situ­a­tion. One of Cremer’s strengths is that we serve various indus­tries: We provide counting and pack­aging solu­tions for the phar­ma­ceu­tical industry, as well as for the food/non-food industry and the agricultural/seed sectors. And we also have our customer service as an impor­tant pillar. It’s always a big advan­tage to have more than one leg to stand on as these different areas can balance each other out.

Let’s take a look at the future: What is your vision for Cremer?

First and fore­most: We want to grow our markets and get a bigger piece of the pie. A company that uses a weighing system, today, might also need a counting system tomorrow – using our machines. If we focus on our core tech­nology, which is counting, we – and our customers – will be sure to benefit. Secondly, we want to build a sustain­able orga­ni­za­tion, and that also means making provi­sions for the future in terms of personnel. We have to attract and retain people. And finally, of course, we need to develop the right prod­ucts by offering added value to our customers, and by gaining access to new markets and customers. There are many emerging economies and indus­tries, but also devel­op­ments such as digi­tal­iza­tion. We want to be right at the top – and that’s why we need to be clearly aware of what’s happening in the world outside, and where our existing and poten­tial customers are.

And what about you? What matters most to you in life?

For me, that would be good health and humor! I devote the little leisure time I have on keeping fit by cycling and hiking, and spending time with my wife and my 20- and 23-year-old sons. And for me, work and humor go hand in hand. At Cremer, we always find an oppor­tu­nity to have a good laugh together.

Thank you very much, Mark!

In his free time, Mark van der Wolf likes to hike. Here with his wife.

Sporting activ­i­ties are impor­tant to the entire van der Wolf family.

Mark van der Wolf also enjoys sport as a spec­tator. He spends time with his family, here with one of his two sons.

*At Cremer, it is customary to address people by their first names, which is why we have also adopted this in the inter­view.