Let there be light: Jörg Buchheim

While convertibles are always fashionable, with the added appeal of fresh air and sunshine sure to liven up any car journey, they’re not always the most practical or affordable choice.

Thankfully, the trusty sunroof has been there to fill the void for those more practical yet fresh-air-loving car owners – those who don’t want to feel confined by the idea of mandatory shade all year round, or be blocked from overhead visibility, or for those who enjoy a welcome cooling alternative to lowered side windows where the angled rush of wind creates chaos for every head of hair.

The benefits just keep multiplying now that technology and automation have been brought into the mix, and specialist companies like Inalfa Roof Systems are working hard with suppliers and customers worldwide to discover and respond to upcoming trends and demands.

Automotive veteran Jörg Buchheim stepped in to lead Inalfa Roof Systems in July 2016, bringing with him more than 20 years of industry experience, as well as 10 as president and CEO of automotive electronics firm HELLA China. Jörg shares with The CEO Magazine what attracted him to the new role, his enthusiasm for the continuous improvement of the car roof system, and he shares some strategic roadmaps and initiatives the company has in place to spur continuing innovation and collaboration.

The CEO Magazine: With more than 20 years of experience in
the automotive industry, what opportunities did you see when joining Inalfa Roof Systems?

Jörg: It was actually the very interesting mix of a European automotive company based in the Netherland, with a Chinese shareholder, and dealing with a product that has the chance to gain significant value-add towards the area of autonomous and electrical driving.

The company operates in a product field where upgrades to its technology and design are frequent, with its history stemming from slider roofs to glass panels to panorama roofs. In the next 5 to 10 years, we will see further evolution of roofs as part of a growing trend in the automotive sector.

Autonomous driving and e-vehicles will also bring opportunities in the future, and innovate our experience of car interiors. The roof will play an essential role in this regard.

You’re coming up to 12 months in the role. What are the key objectives you’ve implemented?

We have developed and kicked off a clear roadmap agreed upon by the board of management. First, we want to concentrate on managing our important launches this year, particularly our new factories in the US, China, and also Eastern Europe.

Autonomous driving and e-vehicles will also bring opportunities in the future

We want to get them operating flawlessly and efficiently for our customers. Second, we would like to strengthen the organisation with more talent, by hiring experts and strong, inspiring managers to broaden the experience and knowledge level.

And third, we are sharpening and upgrading our processes to better suit new requirements of car manufacturers and global end customers. We need to be prepared, because people want new products faster, so we need to be more innovative.

Finally, we want our products to become the first choice for our customers when it comes to innovation, quality and reliability so that it satisfies not only them but also our investors and employees. That’s the roadmap we are following.

How has the opening of the new headquarters in the Netherlands assisted in the growth of Inalfa? 

It’s a very nice and modern building; you should come to see it! On the one hand, it reflects what we are actually doing. The panorama roof, where natural light shines through a lot of glass, makes the headquarters a more pleasant place to work, and it mimics the appeal of these roofs in the cars.

It [our new headquarters] supports us in attracting new talent and experts, by offering a nice place to go every day where people can feel inspired.

On the other hand, it reflects an important part of our company culture, with our overall aim to always practise transparency with our people and our customers. Finally, it supports us in attracting new talent and experts, by offering a nice place to go every day where people can feel inspired, and that’s what we need.

What challenges have you faced within the industry, and how has Inalfa worked to overcome these? 

The main challenge we face actually lies in managing the growth at Inalfa. Companies these days are having to expand their own footprint to serve global customers and remain competitive. We too are faced with this demand.

We must maintain a strong and profitable presence in China, we must secure
our home markets, and we need to be innovative and agile to stay competitive and attractive. That’s the requirement.

Inalfa is certainly a company operating in a competitive field, but we have the benefit of a multifaceted cultural set-up, being a company in the Netherlands with a Chinese shareholder and major customers in Germany. This variety makes it a very interesting field with a lot of opportunities.

We must also ensure that we successfully bridge the cultural gaps between Asia and Europe. And I think that’s what I can bring from my 10 years’ experience working in China. Besides that, we need to continuously build on our offering to investors and customers to ensure the organisation continues to grow,  and that our knowhow, capabilities and processes grow accordingly.

How does Inalfa continue to be at the forefront of technology and innovation? Its focus on ergonomics and diversification must play a role?

Yes, we are certainly doing a lot to drive innovation. We are working with a very diversified and ambitious global team on identifying new trends worldwide, which provides us with a competitive edge.

Diversification is definitely part of this, and we’re working on new and clever operating systems. We are also working on new glass technologies to reduce the weight of roofs, because we want to make them bigger in order to provide more light into the vehicles. Furthermore, we are considering the future integration of more electronics to increase the comfort and experience of certain functions.

Coping with changing interior environments of automotive vehicles can be challenging, but it’s all about building a new interior and a new experience. We’re catering for the car of tomorrow. I’m talking about autonomous driving, having more time to experience the interior of your car, having more ways to enjoy or operate your roof, things like that.

You have a 2020 plan to achieve a €2 billion turnover. What are the main factors you feel will enable you to achieve this plan? 

We are doing so well that, though I don’t want to appear arrogant, I’m very confident that as long as there is no general crisis, Inalfa will reach its goal of €2 billion turnover in 2020. We’re getting very close to that.

I’m very confident that so long as there’s no general crisis, Inalfa will reach its goal of €2 billion turnover in 2020.

The challenge is more about achieving this to the highest satisfaction level of all parties involved – customers, shareholders, employees and partners. That’s what I care about most. Therefore, we’re strongly focused on doing our homework, putting our heads down, and doing the best we can to earn that growth. It’s more about the journey rather than the target.

What do you believe sets Inalfa apart from its competitors? 

I think the additional opportunities provided to us from our strong Chinese shareholder (BHAP) arms us with a competitive advantage, as it gives us great support as well as ease of access to one of the biggest markets in the world.

The strong commitment from our shareholder also gives us a long-term view of the market and our goals, which is different to our previous owners who were more short-term oriented and more focused on quick investment rather than long-term innovation and growth. Although we certainly got some tailwinds there due to providing our roofs to their own automotive brand.

I also think our traditional attitude towards customer service is very much appreciated; we have a high degree of flexibility and an eye for problem-solving. This we want to further strengthen again.

How does Inalfa build strong and effective relationships with suppliers?

In the roof business, a deep value lies with your suppliers; therefore, we are always increasing our efforts to get them integrated as early as possible. We launched a program in January called Extended Enterprise to focus on early involvement of suppliers in developing solutions. Very early on, we begin discussing the possible qualitative, reliable and technical
solutions and then working jointly on new innovations.

What we are offering  them in return is successful growth alongside us, and a long-term commitment. That’s a simple formula that we are driving with our suppliers. The Extended Enterprise concept is one that we are also always pursuing and maintaining with our customers. We are looking for early involvement and feedback from them for the joint development of innovative products and to increase the quality and reliability of current products.

What qualities do you believe make a good leader, and what inspires you?

A good leader should lead by example; that’s very important. You need to set an example in all behaviours, whether that’s demonstrating company cultures, or acting on organisational values. Plus I’m very keen on providing regular feedback.

I’m inspired a lot by my employees and teams, but also my family inspires me to think with whole new perspectives.

This is important because to improve your organisation, you need to establish a continuous autonomous improvement culture, and you can’t improve without feedback. Overall, you need to make sure that you create a performance-oriented and positive cultural environment to provide employees happiness, engagement and success, with room for development.

I’m inspired a lot by my employees and teams, but also my family inspires me to think with whole new perspectives. My wife is Chinese and she approaches challenges from a different angle than I might, and she sometimes advises me of solutions that I didn’t consider myself.

And certainly my 2 children are inspiring me all of the time; they are careless and unpolitical, but also so quick at learning and adapting to new environments.