Tristan van Vuuren

Division:Group Holding                  
Company:ALTANA AG
Role:Corporate Innovation
Location:Wesel 
Country:Germany 
Has been with the company since:2006

Which professional experiences have you already collected before you joined ALTANA?
With regard to my academic qualifications, I am a graduate in Chemical Technology and have a post-graduate diploma in Business Management (Business Administration).

Professionally, I have been involved with key account management, distribution management, and business development management. I also have expertise in the African coatings and ink market. My commercial sales experience extends to Europe, United Kingdom, United States and the Middle East.

My technical experience in digital printing, coatings, detergents, industrial preservatives, industrial water treatment, and cosmetics completes the picture.

How did you become aware of ALTANA as employer?
I started working for BYK as a Delegate in South Africa in 2006. I noticed that the CDDP was advertised on the ALTANA Intranet. Fortunately, I had already met with Dr. Wießmeier at a KAM training program in Shanghai, China and was able to ask him directly about the program.

Was the internationality an important reason for your decision to join ALTANA?
Working for BYK in Africa has its limitations, mostly isolation from the global business scene. I felt that ALTANA’s internationalism could offer a wide variety of opportunities in the worldwide specialty chemicals industry.

What does innovation means to you?
Innovation is much less about invention than most people think. Rather, it is about converting good inventions into profitable products that the market needs and desires.

What are your goals for your professional development?
My goal for the short term is to utilize the CDDP platform for networking across the organization and to gain insight into ALTANA operations worldwide. The organization has a vast range of technologies and products, and there is much to learn about what is on offer.

In the medium to long term, I would like to continue to strengthen my knowledge of digital printing and electronics. In addition, I would like to remain involved in the KAM program, as I believe it offers an opportunity to be strategic, operational, and technical, i.e. a true all-rounder!