Stefan is our Continuous Improvement and Quality Manager at the location in Burghausen, Germany, and has been with Borealis for many years. He started as an Operator and experienced the physical effort behind the production of our products, which is a great advantage for him today and has helped him succeed throughout his career. He was even re-hired with Borealis but let us not get ahead of ourselves…

How long have you been with Borealis?

I joined Borealis as an Operator in 2005. I was promoted to Shift Supervisor and worked as Technical Trainer as I started to become very enthusiastic about the topic of quality management. I established an internal auditor pool and completed the auditor training but there was no opening in this area within Borealis at that time. I decided to leave the company but as the connection to colleagues remained intact, the door was not entirely closed so to speak. Eventually, I returned in 2018 to take over my current role as a Continuous Improvement and Quality Manager. I do not have a University degree but I started from scratch therefore I know how our products are made and how the basis feels which is a great advantage today. I wanted to tell my story to show that life experience is something you can build on and allows you to go your individual way as well.

What do you do at Borealis?

Simply put, I take care of everything related to continuous improvement. My role allows me to work on small and large projects and to implement improvements in a structured manner. Furthermore, I deal with the topic of leadership on the site in Burghausen and try to promote it across all hierarchies. At Borealis, we place great emphasis on leadership while always having our values in mind. To exceed by working on nimble solutions for example is one of them as we are continuously looking for ways to improve our processes and ourselves. Besides that, I deal with quality management so we can meet our standards and customer requirements. Finally, I am jointly responsible for the integration of our recycling company mtm. As a company, we want to be one step ahead of our competitors, but above all, we want to do it for our environment because circularity shall not be only an obligation but also an attitude towards life.

What is the most favorite part of your job?

What I enjoy the most is that my tasks complement each other perfectly because every standard says you have to improve yourself continuously. It is about pushing the boundaries, looking for new possibilities, and breaking new ground. The hard part is not to have an idea but to convey the benefit of this idea to others. It takes courage to try something new, and you have to be willing to do so. You have to be brave enough to take on another role, not necessarily for your career but to gain new experience. At Borealis, you get the opportunity to leave your comfort zone and contribute. I have always wanted to do things differently, both professionally and privately, and my role allows me to do that.  

What has been your favorite project so far?

There are many projects in the course of one’s professional life so it is difficult to point out a favorite one. Digitalization, however, brings along some great things, for example, we have developed a visual board for our plants. It is almost like on the Starship Enterprise, as all information is digitally available for the colleagues, which is a great value-add and makes the workflows much more efficient.

What is something you are looking forward to for your future at Borealis?

I would like to support our location Burghausen to play a role in the area of circular economy solutions. To contribute to the environment as a plastic producer makes your work meaningful and I would like to be part of that.

What do you like to do when you are not at work?

I enjoy good food and exquisite vine. I also enjoy sports like rowing, cycling, and playing volleyball. After all, if you like to eat, you can't avoid sports. I live on the countryside so I have to take care of my garden, even if I`m not really good at gardening because I miss the green thump. I am excited about big cities, especially Vienna and New York and I could even imagine living in a big city with all the variety of cultures and events. Near my partner and friends, I love live music and enjoy going to festivals. Most of my energy is charged through the sound of music.

Three words you would describe yourself with are…

Communicative, open, sometimes naive even but always positive and straight forward. At Borealis, we follow this credo of connect-learn-implement that I like to apply not only professionally but also personally. That is why I enjoy working with Borealis.

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