iMAGE:
Mr Ullrich, how would you describe your professional background and what are you working on at the moment?

Daniel Ullrich:
I finished school in 2015 and since then I have been pursuing my goal of studying human medicine. However, these days it‘s quite difficult to secure the necessary place at university in this subject unless you can boast perfect grades. That‘s why I decided to start by volunteering for a year in a hospital — to learn whether this career choice is even the right one for me. I then completed basic training in the emergency services and various placements on hospital wards with a range of specialisations. I‘m currently preparing for an exam which, if I pass, could allow me to find a university place in Austria.

iMAGE:
Which tools do you find indispensable in your day-to-day work?

Daniel Ullrich:
I‘d probably struggle most without my smartphone these days, given that it gets used in almost every part of my daily routine. It‘s a source of inexhaustible knowledge for learning and work in particular, but at the same time it provides a useful way of switching off if you lose motivation, allowing you to rediscover that motivation and clear your head. However, it‘s also the primary tool for staying connected, contacting friends and family or making appointments. I‘m hoping I can replace my smartphone with a patient file in the near future — as we all know, something modern doctors can‘t survive without! [laughs]

iMAGE:
If you had one more hour every day, what would you use it for?

Daniel Ullrich:
Unfortunately, in the digitalised world of today, the time we have for social relationships alongside the stress of our daily lives is continually shrinking. I‘ve seen this at work, in the hospital for example, as well as in my private life. This is a shame and in most cases there are limits to the changes we can make. Since I personally spend a lot of time hidden behind mountains of paperwork or chained to my computer studying, there just isn‘t enough time at the moment to socialise the way I would like. For that reason, I‘d use my extra hour for more shared activities with friends and family. Depending on the weather and how I was feeling, I‘d perhaps go to the cinema, discover new places or simply meet new people.

iMAGE:
What were the circumstances of your first contact with the company?

Daniel Ullrich:
I think my first (unconscious) contact with nass magnet was probably nibbling on the company‘s wine gums, the ones with the logo on the packaging. My mother, Christiane Ullrich, often used to bring these sweets back from work, for example when she came home after a shareholders‘ meeting. (Editor‘s note: You can read our interview with Christiane Ullrich, Holding Kirchheim GmbH + Co. KG shareholder, in iMAGE issue 02/2015)

Naturally, my understanding of the company has grown over time, and nass magnet means far more to me nowadays than just fruity sweets! nass magnet was always a dominant theme in discussions with my family, which meant that I became more and more aware of the company as time went on. As I became older, I always wanted to know more about how nass magnet fitted together, and so I began researching the corporate group in my own time as well.

iMAGE:
Does being a shareholder play an important role in your day-to-day life?

Daniel Ullrich:
With regard to the company and general economic situation, you go through life with a broader perspective as a shareholder. At least that‘s been the case for me.

Firstly, I want to find out about the economic challenges and risks that the company may have to face, and secondly, I‘m interested in new opportunities and how these can be exploited from a corporate and technical perspective. Furthermore, a shareholder is not just more sensitive to political events, but also to how they could impact on the future of the company.

iMAGE:
How familiar are you with electromagnetic solutions, like solenoid valves?

Daniel Ullrich:
I would argue that I have a basic understanding. My father being an engineer meant that I had a general understanding of physical processes from a young age. I‘ve also been able to find out a great deal about the various fields of application for such magnetic solutions at company meetings and guided tours. This combination of influences has put me in a position to look out for places where such valves are used more often in my daily routine.

iMAGE:
How do you view the development of the company group nass magnet?

Daniel Ullrich:
I‘m very happy with the position of the company, because it is stably underpinned by a number of mainstays. In the recent past in particular, the warehouse fire that occurred in February provided yet more evidence that the company can react to even unforeseeable events and crises in an commensurate, steadfast manner. I‘d especially like to highlight the fact that despite the continuing, steady growth of the company, great emphasis is placed on the community formed by everyone involved in the company and that sense of unity. I‘d also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the members of staff involved and the Board of Management at nass magnet GmbH for their hard work!

iMAGE:
How do you see the future prospects of the corporate group?

Daniel Ullrich:
China and the Chinese market continue to offer great potential — potential that the nass magnet corporate group could be very well placed to take advantage of, with its modern technology and German expertise. Furthermore, the integration of economic migrants in the German-speaking world means that we can expect a larger pool of skilled workers in future. There will be new opportunities to optimise processes and procedures and reduce error rates, and increasingly efficient technical options will guarantee greater customer satisfaction.

iMAGE:
Thank you for the interesting interview, Mr Ullrich. We wish you all the best, lots of success and entrepreneurial foresight for the future and of course your continued studies — and we hope you‘ll find that the white coat suits you!