Hans Meuers is a professor at the University of Applied Sciences of Design and Communication in Hamburg, Germany and President of the Marketing Association of Hamburg, Germany. He has over 35 years of experience in international FMCG brand marketing and management and was formerly the sales director of British American Tobacco, the second largest tobacco company in the world.
Q: Many students think you are a very typical German teacher, don't you?
Hans: I think everyone is special and there is no such thing as a "typical German teaching style". Maybe it is because the German educational philosophy is more focused on developing a deeper sense of business or corporate awareness than in China, and that is why it gives students the impression that they are. I always convey to my students the idea of learning to use their brains to become insightful and thoughtful people. We promote a higher education that supports each student's ideas and topics, and I personally agree that differences in thinking exist among students.
Q: Our students are eager to break out of the confines of university study and gain more knowledge and experience through their own efforts. What advice do you have for this?
Hans: The best thing to do is to be brave enough to take the first step to work. Corporate practice is entirely possible if students can use their vacation time to try it out. In Germany, if our students want to improve themselves, they work hard to get more practical experience. They often go back to the same companies and learn in a hands-on way. As in the case of British American Tobacco, where I work
In the group, the company will look forward to more young people in the immediate working age to join, as young people have the passion to make better judgments.
Today, there are some large companies in Germany, especially unofficial and more autonomous ones, who are also changing themselves to attract the younger generation. Workers can become more creative by getting resources personally from society or from outside the company. Company restrictions on employees have gradually weakened and companies are trying to make workers feel happy and gainful both in terms of work and self-improvement, and to educate the new generation with a creative mindset.
Q: Sino-German College of Design and Communication is also trying to establish more school-enterprise cooperation platforms, which also made me perceive another problem: many students will meet some company leaders or colleagues with rich experience to assign them work tasks during their internship, however, the content and ideas of these jobs are not exactly the same as what they learned in school, which makes students feel very confused. What do you think about this phenomenon?
Hans: It is not uncommon for students to be confused when they first enter a company because of their first foray into practical work or because of the large difference between theoretical knowledge and business reality. I have shared a similar experience: some large companies focused more on the strategic part of the business and neglected the people work. Today, the trend has changed and leadership training for corporate employees has become more and more important.
Leaders have different styles, but I personally believe that no matter what leadership style, successful leaders will always lead the team to victory, which is our common goal. All we have to do is to act and then improve ourselves.
Q: With over 30 years of experience, what has been your biggest challenge? When did you feel most accomplished?
Hans: I have tried many jobs in Germany and the United States, and these experiences have allowed me to grow as a proper employee and operator. Even when I joined the British American Tobacco Group, I kept a continuous learning attitude. When I first started working, I would encounter many recurring confusions when faced with assigned tasks and customer queries. Facing these difficulties, I had to spend a lot of time to solve them, and I had to be responsible for what I said. In hindsight, this 15-year-long working career has been very precious to me.
The biggest challenge would be in the fifth year of my career, when I was assigned to organize a global trade and marketing conference for over 400 industry professionals. My team spent nine months preparing for the conference, with a constant refinement of the content and organizational procedures. At the end of this assignment, I tried my first cigar in my life. It was a moment I still can't forget and perhaps the most rewarding time of my life.
Q: So, you have converted the biggest challenge of your life into the most profound memory. You know that many young people nowadays like to jump from job to job, can you share with us what motivates you to stick with one company?
Hans: You mentioned the key word "conversion", which is also my suggestion. The traditional promotion channels, such as sales clerk-sales manager-sales director model, are not the only form of development in our time. We can try different jobs, get familiar with new work and gain experience.
It was purely by chance that I worked at the tobacco company for so long. I originally planned to return to school to pursue my PhD after working there for 3-5 years, and my father supported me at that time. Whenever I wanted to go back to school for my PhD, there were always all kinds of new tasks and projects for me to complete. After a few years, I started to ask myself, "Do I really need a PhD? How will I be different now than I will be after I get my PhD?" Maybe when you reach a higher level of education, you will find yourself thinking outside the box as well.
Sometimes, I have to admit that a PhD may be a disadvantage in the FMCG industry, because an overly theoretical mind is not suited for regular work. If you follow the careers of some successful leaders of big companies, you will find that they usually like to jump from job to job. However, it is not a good choice to jump from one company to another for a short period of time and with high frequency. We do not necessarily have to change companies to gain experience, but in some group companies that contain many brands, we can choose to serve different brands.
I would like to give another piece of advice to young talents: learn to be flexible and don't be afraid of setbacks, because it's part of life. When you feel frustrated, look hard and find the positive side of things.
Q: You have worked for many multinational companies such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble, how do you see the corporate management in China and other international companies?
Hans: I would have to go into a Chinese company and work there myself to understand and observe the management and operations to be able to answer this question objectively. Many local companies in China, such as Alibaba and OPPO, are very talented companies that have their own corporate culture. Last year, I had the opportunity to witness a company that was built by young Chinese people, and their perspective might answer this question. He said that one of the major problems in China is that companies need to start from "0", while in the West, they can start from "1". This difference is reflected even in large groups like Alibaba. But if you have an idea, it's no longer a problem. China is a market of 1.4 billion people, which has a lot of potential for expansion. In my personal opinion, there is no permanent fixed business vision and Chinese companies are still young, including "Alibaba", which is as dynamic and energetic as an 18 year old who has just come of age.
Q: What made you decide to become a teacher after a 30-year career as an executive?
Answer: Once a teacher, always a teacher. When I was younger, there were attempts to get involved in the teaching profession, including in business and even as a soccer coach. I am a marketer and I am very socially oriented, especially working with young people. Their novel ideas can bring me inspiration to build new marketing business models. I am constantly improving as I pass on my knowledge and experience to my fellow students. Learning together and not being stagnant, we all need to make changes.
Photography: Binghui Qu
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