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Dr Jochen Kress: Shaping the future - for future generations

Dr Jochen Kress: Shaping the future - for future generations

Jochen Kress is born in 1975 into a family in which the company always takes centre stage. Even as a child, he occasionally “works” in the company, sticking address labels on parcels or working in the training center, standing on pallets at the workbench.

Before leaving school after his “Abitur”, he spends a school year in the USA. He uses the freedom “far away from any observations and constraints”, to make a conscious decision in favour of a professional future at MAPAL. After internships in the company, A-levels and military service, he studies mechanical engineering in Dresden from 1996. Once again, he is looking for a break from his parents' home - and is fascinated by the changes that have taken place in the metropolis on the Elbe since the German reunification. There is also a big change for him in Dresden: Jochen Kress meets and falls in love with his future wife here.

From 2000, he works as a development engineer at MAPAL. In 2004, he moves to Leipzig, where he completes an MBA, which is later followed by a in-service doctorate. In this respect, his academic career is similar to that of his father, but as people the two are fundamentally different: Dr Jochen Kress does not seek the spotlight and he does not exercise his authority loudly. He also rarely makes quick gut decisions, instead weighing up challenges and options thoroughly and likes to think along long-term strategic lines.

 

WELL PREPARED FOR THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAPAL

After completing his studies, he also works a while at the large company Voith in order to gain professional experience outside MAPAL. When he returns to MAPAL at the beginning of 2008, a key decision has already been made: At Dr Jochen Kress' wedding in 2004, his father announces to the stunned family without any prior discussions: “And by the way - Jochen will be my successor.”

 Dr Jochen Kress is initially responsible for development at MAPAL. He is also active wherever there is a need, for example on numerous business trips to Asia. A prolonged illness of his father, just during the financial crisis of 2008/2009, then challenged him also in other areas.

“I like it when things change and something moves.” Dr Jochen Kress

2018 sees a generational change: Dr Jochen Kress becomes Managing Partner of MAPAL. His father is officially only a Limited Partner now, but continues to work in the background, finding little enthusiasm with his son. Especially as Dr Jochen Kress intensively begins with his new task: to reorganise the structures and processes at MAPAL so that they, under the changed conditions, can meet the future needs of the rapidly growing and already internationally positioned company. A long-term task, but one that Dr Jochen Kress does not see as a burden. “It's a privilege, you can develop things,” is his credo - and he adds: “Despite all the homework that the past and the present have given us, the work of my father and grandfather is a wonderful heritage and a great basis to build on.”