A New Era

With each new era come new challenges. Which should we prioritise? And what do Energy and Transition mean to each of us? Below, Supervisory Board members share their thoughts.

Evi Hager, Deputy Chair-woman of the Supervisory Board and head of Peter und Luise Hager Foundation.

Every era has its challenges, and I am convinced that for our generation, the energy revolution is one of the top priorities. We need to quickly convert our vehicles, buildings and industries to sustainable energy sources and create infrastructures that allow us to use energy in a smarter and more efficient way. In Germany, we are on the right track with renewable energy sources, which already contribute to a good third of the country’s power supply. In other markets, however, much work is still to be done.

Such a fundamental transformation of the energy landscape is, of course, a daunting task. This is why we need a second revolution, one that takes place in our minds. We must rethink our lives and economies, question what we thought was certain and try what we thought was impossible. We should be under no illusions that this is going to be easy. As Francis M. de Picabia, the famous artist who was almost peerless in his ability to radically change his style, said …our heads are round so that our thinking can change direction. And we should make the most of this extraordinary human capacity.

Peter Hager, member of Hager Group Supervisory Board and Executive Board member of Peter und Luise Hager Foundation.

For courageous entrepreneurs, the energy revolution is an opportunity to develop new areas of business and to seize first-mover advantage. Hager Group has been working hard to achieve this for years. My father and uncle showed courage and achieved outstanding business success under demanding conditions. This was, and still is, both an example and an incentive for today’s generation of shareholders. The company’s employees are of particular importance here thanks to their energy, dedication and authenticity.

Prof. Dr. Rainer Lorz, is a partner of the Stuttgart firm Hennerkes, Kirchdörfer & Lorz, which specialises in advising family businesses and entrepreneurial families.

In order to develop technologies and markets of the future, a company like Hager Group needs brain power and expertise of the future. The company needs to open up in order to engage, attract and retain the best talents. As a family business, Hager Group can offer high potentials more freedom and security than a conventional company. Another advantage for Hager Group is that it doesn’t need to perform a cost-benefit analysis at every stage of the change process, instead, it can afford to give new employees and structures time to develop. It is clear, however, that they too at some point will need to make their contribution to the company and society.

In other words, we are not talking about a disruptive revolution, more a continuous evolution. This does not mean, however, that the revolution that lies before us is less demanding.

Hager Group is strong, will adapt to change and continue on its path to success.

Günther Fleig

Gisela Lanza, leading Professor at the Institute of Production Science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and a lecturer in Production Systems and Quality Management.

As I am a researcher, I naturally question everything; I find it much more difficult to come up with new ideas. I believe we are already very good at optimising and evolving our ideas, the much greater challenge, however, is to radically rethink our business as a whole.

For example, I am heavily involved in the automotive industry. Here, we often deal with questions such as: is being prepared for new trends and technologies such as electro-mobility really enough? Or will these trends be more disruptive? Have our cherished motorcars come to the end of the road? Will mobility be very different in the future? Will we need less vehicles? What will they look like? And what does all this mean for the future of our highly esteemed car factories here in Germany? Will they even still exist?

Thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas, even if they may seem crazy or absurd, certainly helps.

Antoine Raymond, CEO of the automotive supplier ARaymond Network.

The Energy Transition requires us to make fundamental changes to our habits, lifestyles, working methods and ways of using technology.

In the industrial sector, we consume vast quantities of materials and energy to process and deliver our products. To help create a sustainable new system for the future, our goal each day must be to strive to balance our company’s needs to succeed in today’s world against our duty to change our habits and working methods.

I believe that there are two main keys to success in terms of our Energy Transition. First and foremost, we need to change the leadership culture within our organisations by promoting listening, accountability and respect for people and their environment. And secondly, we need to try to contribute, as far as we possibly can, to economic peace, by promoting friendlier and more collaborative economic relations. The long transition phase requires a great deal of focused, positive energy from each and every one of us. That energy is an end in itself, a little like the sense of well-being and excitement we feel when starting a journey or setting out on an adventure.

Günther Fleig, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hager SE and former Board member for Human Resources at Daimler AG.

The future is electric, in transport, in buildings, everywhere. This presents Hager Group with both opportunities and risks. For example, how exactly will the success criteria in Hager Group’s electrical installation and power management businesses change? How do these domains connect to other systems and areas of life? Are changes to our product ranges sufficient, or do we need to go much further?

To meet these challenges, Hager Group must change, and indeed, wants to do so. Time and again, the sustainability of Hager Group business model and its range of services are tested and changes are boldly initiated. Two key areas that are undergoing transformation as a result of the company’s digitalisation are: the company’s way of doing business and the implementation of industry 4.0. Everyone needs to be involved in the transformation process at Hager Group. Management and employees must work together to define common objectives. Management’s role in the upcoming period is to guarantee strong teamwork and a corporate culture oriented towards human values to ensure these objectives are achieved. Anyone involved and on board can be proud to work at Hager Group.