At Feintool, we can make a difference.

What does success mean in life? Where will Feintool be heading in the future? And what music does a CEO listen to in the car? Knut Zimmer answered these questions and many more in a relaxed dialogue with the apprentices at the traditional “CEO Brunch”. More than 15 apprentices at the Lyss site asked Knut Zimmer professional and private questions and gave the CEO honest feedback at the end.

«Everyone has to find their own way» to become successful. Every person also has their own definition of “success”. In this context, the CEO explained that it is important to be disciplined towards oneself and that one should be “hungry” for new knowledge. Many people think they are only successful when they have reached a high position. However, Knut Zimmer explained to the learners that this is a false assumption. After all, it is not desirable for everyone to become the CEO of a company. It is also associated with many risks. In further dialogue, he gave the learners two concrete tips that they can apply immediately in order to be successful in a company in the long term.

«Be interested and exchange ideas regularly with your superiors and consciously keep your distance from whispering. Cultivate your networks.»

As a technology company, men are in the majority at Feintool. That is why it is important to develop the potential of female specialists. Thus, when asked whether women can also be successful in technical professions, the CEO also stated that he would like to see more women having the confidence to pursue a career in a technical profession in the future.

The future of Feintool

The advantage compared to other companies is the short decision-making processes. That’s why projects reach their destination more quickly at Feintool. «Our innovative and precise working methods guarantee our high quality standards» This is particularly true for the coming years, when the focus will be on helping to shape the mobility of the future. Feintool will change.

Because combustion engines will become less common in the future and electric vehicles will gain momentum. With this in mind, it is important to let go of the past and orientate oneself to the future direction of the market. To this end, it is essential that all Feintool employees, from production to administration, work together and know where the journey is heading. The Swiss location should focus on what it does well: Lyss is a centre of excellence in toolmaking, fineblanking and FEINforming of bipolar plates. The goal is to produce the first series of bipolar plates at the Lyss site.

Another major topic is sustainability, which is part of Feintool’s «Strategy 2030». This means that Feintool must present comprehensible figures in order to make an important contribution to the environment. This has already been worked on over the last two years and awareness of sustainability has become and continues to become more pronounced in both the professional and private lives of individual employees.

An insight into the private life of a CEO

When asked how many hours he works every day, CEO Knut Zimmer explained that he has little time for private things, because he actually lives for Feintool and even on weekends he takes work home with him. But his goal, even as a young apprentice, was to make a difference. For this reason, he does not complain at all about the long working days. Asked about his musical preferences, Knut Zimmer replied: «I don’t have a special taste in music, but my heart beats faster and my eyes sparkle when I hear Bruce Springsteen. It reminds me of my youth.»

All in all, the apprentices took away something new for themselves and they found it exciting to get a personal insight into the life of the CEO.