In motion towards the future.

One concept applies particularly well to both the private and professional life of Richard Heinemann: motion. Thus, on the one side, as a development engineer in Bertrandt's electronics development department, he is intensively involved in the further development of new mobility solutions with electric motors. And on the other, he likes to engage in dynamic movement after work: playing beach volleyball with his colleagues, for example, or going bouldering.  

If you took a look at what Richard Heinemann has already achieved in his education and career, you would assume he is much older than 24. Already while he was studying, vehicle technology was central; working on his diploma thesis and interning at one of the big automotive manufacturers was what first brought him into contact with Bertrandt. Because Bertrandt was involved in “his” internship project as an external services provider.

“Really, I come more from the bodywork side. And the topic of e-mobility was unknown to me at the start.” But that was to change quickly. “In fact, it is perhaps the most exciting topic in mobility – today and in the future,” says Richard Heinemann. “And it’s particularly enjoyable working on it at Bertrandt, because you can set so much in motion. More than with the traditional subjects. After all, nearly everything is new and there are few patents out there at the moment.” Thus, this is exactly the right trending topic for a creative mind that is always learning more and has already in early years achieved the recognition of his colleagues and the company.

“Of course, it only works in a perfect team where you can rely on the other people,” the development engineer says. “And there’s probably nobody who does it as well as us.”

Between ten and fifteen employees are in the team, which is international in aspect, very easy-going and dynamic. “It is more like when you work with friends on a common task; it doesn’t feel like a compulsory activity.” The members of the team also meet up often outside of work: both for sport and to have breakfast together.

The things he particularly values at Bertrandt are, for example, the collegiate atmosphere, the short distances between people, despite the international nature of the company, and the contact that can be made across hierarchies. And naturally that he is able to be constantly in motion. 

A young-timer with a young-timer.

Stefan loves to be on the move: Both privately, in his “young-timer”, and as a marketing expert for the company on business trips to trade fairs and events at home and abroad. There he supports subsidiaries, companies and specialist departments in organising and preparing documents and publications all the way to steering projects.

When describing their everyday life, marketing specialists often don’t know quite what to say. “The task is too varied and diverse in such a many-layered company as Bertrandt,” says Stefan. “There practically is no everyday life because the many different projects are always different, always new: every day brings new and unusual challenges.” The only thing that is everyday, in a sense, is the good mood and enjoyment of tasks that this great team takes on together with boundless enthusiasm.

His core tasks, such as email marketing, social media, presentations – that is, internal and external communications – guarantee constant enjoyment in the workplace, on the one hand because of the excellent work environment and on the other because of the exciting topics the company is working on.

And the more so because of Stefan’s particular affinity for cars: he has “petrol in the blood”, as it were. After all, it is here, in the company, that the future of mobility is being developed: topics such as digitalisation, autonomous driving, e-mobility and networking are everything but boring.

Being right there and having continuous direct contact with the practical side was already a vitally important factor during the young-timer driver’s training. That is why, after apprenticing as a vehicle salesman in 2014, he opted for a work-study programme in which he was able to experience “the perfect conjunction of theory and practice in various departments of Bertrandt.” “On the one side, the work-study programme was truly inspiring; on the other, I was naturally happy to be able to start directly at Bertrandt after the three years were over.”

If, admittedly, with a few starting problems: the battery of his car ran dry, causing not a little upset on his first day of work.

A thrilling journey into the future.

Numbers and technology were always Saravanan’s greatest passion. And for him, no challenge is too big: there is always a solution. In work as well as in private life. His greatest strengths are technology and an ability not to take himself too seriously. Hence, he produces Dubsmash videos. Here, images and soundtracks are remixed – something which can lead to truly hilarious results. No surprise, then, that his videos are always finding new followers.  

Saravanan Gomathiapillai Vembu comes from the south-Indian state of Tamil Nadu, in whose capital, Chennai, he studied for his bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology, before continuing his education in Germany. He gained his master’s from the University of Duisburg-Essen in computational mechanics with a focus on finite element methods and fluid mechanics. With more than three years’ practical and professional experience in the automotive, research and development, marketing, sales and vehicle customer services sectors, he works today as a calculation engineer in the crash simulation field at Bertrandt in Mönsheim.

“Currently, I am being inducted according to a well-thought-out plan and have gained insight into many different departments of the firm. At Bertrandt I have found the best platform for my professional development and endless possibilities,” says Saravanan. “But the most important thing is that my colleagues are always there for me. It just feels good.”

Soon he will be fully integrated and working on the further development of e-mobility. His tasks currently are focused in the field of crash simulation and thus on vehicle safety.

This is at least as enjoyable as his videos, and a valuable step forward for the mobility of the future.