Mr Högl, the food and beverages industry is generally regarded as a stable sector even in times of economic turmoil. Does this tie in with your experience?

Absolutely. The beverages industry serves one of society’s most basic needs and pleasures. Food and drink are a fundamental part of life, so they are not greatly affected by economic highs and lows. In fact, it is more a question of seasonal fluctuations. In summer, people tend to opt for alcohol-free thirst quenchers and generally drink more than in winter.

What is it that your customers particularly value about Linde? What do they get from us that they can’t get from our competitors?

Our customers rate the all-round quality they’ve come to expect from Linde – from the purity of our gases to predictable, on-time deliveries. Our dedication to quality also extends to professional consultation services, ensuring optimum, cost-efficient deployment of gases, especially when it comes to rolling out new applications. Our customers trust us and regard us as a strong, reliable partner.

How many customers are you responsible for in your area?

My region covers southern and eastern Bavaria and includes around 300 customers, all from the foodstuffs and beverages industry.

And how many kilometres do you notch up each year visiting your customers?

I generally travel around 60,000 kilometres by car.

So do you do anything to keep in shape after spending all this time behind the wheel?

I go hiking in the mountains at weekends, which helps strengthen my back following long periods on the road. I also enjoy Nordic walking and, in winter, cross-country skiing.

Your job involves marketing industrial gases to the drinks industry. Admittedly, this doesn’t sound too exciting on the surface. What is it that makes your job so interesting?

Gases can be used for a huge range of applications in the food and drinks sector. So we are constantly confronted with new challenges. To maintain our position as a technology leader in the industrial gases segment, we have to anticipate evolving customer needs and deliver workable solutions – fast. Every day is a new challenge and we never stop learning. But that is exactly what makes this job so much fun!