Insights & Reflections

Before joining Dräger, I was leading the Southeast Asia business for an American multinational. Transitioning from a commercial leadership role back into core finance—this time in a European, family-led organization—naturally came up with questions. Would the culture be different? Would expectations align with my experience?

But Dräger quickly dissolved those apprehensions. This is not just a workplace; it is a mission-led environment where people genuinely believe in improving lives. And when your technologies touch human life every single day, the meaning of every financial decision becomes profoundly deeper.

From Foundations to Acceleration

The early months were intense but energizing. My priority was to deeply understand the business and address any operational and financial gaps. But most importantly, I focused on building a strong, empowered, and motivated team—because meaningful transformation always begins with people. Over time, this foundation allowed us to accelerate. Together, we simplified processes, automated heavy manual workflows, and improved efficiency across the organization.

One of our proudest milestones was the seamless go-live of SAP S/4HANA—a transition achieved without any disruption, enabled by exceptional cross-functional collaboration. It remains a testament to the discipline, teamwork, and passion that define Dräger.

Balancing Today While Building Tomorrow

In a market defined by rapid shifts, and increasing pressures on efficiency, finance is no longer merely the custodian of numbers. We are strategic partners—responsible for holding two priorities in balance:

A. Strengthening the core
Ensuring our established businesses remain efficient, competitive, and profitable.

B. Shaping the future
Investing in scalable innovation, digital ecosystems, and capability-building—especially through people and service excellence.

Achieving this balance requires an intentional capital allocation framework—one that safeguards liquidity and long-term resilience, while directing resources towards clear value-creation pathways. When we get this right, we don’t just protect the present; we actively shape a stronger, future-ready Dräger.

Beyond Numbers, Towards Value Creation

As I reflect and look ahead, my vision is clear: to transform finance from a reporting function into a forward-looking, insight-driven strategic engine—one that strengthens the organization by consistently enabling better choices.

We aspire to:

• Protect Value through governance, compliance, and operational discipline
• Create Value by driving profitable growth and future-focused investments
• Accelerate Value through agility, digitalization, and true business partnering

This evolution demands curiosity, collaboration, and conviction, and I am proud to see these qualities growing within our team every single day.

While balance sheets, forecasts, and cash flows are central to our everyday work, balancing purpose with performance is what makes this function truly meaningful. As I step into my fifth year at Dräger, I am filled with gratitude—for the trust placed in me, the colleagues I have the privilege to work with, and the culture that anchors us in purpose. Here’s to what we have built—and everything we are yet to achieve, together.