Femke

Sales (Feasibility & Pricing)

Location: Stolberg

With Aurubis since: April 2014

How did you find out about Aurubis as an employer, and what made you decide to join Aurubis?

My Aurubis journey started at the former Aurubis Netherlands (now KME). I found my first position as a customer service employee through a recruiter. A commercial job in an international manufacturing company was something I was looking for. I like the down-to-earth mentality in a production environment and working with international colleagues and customers gives a nice extra dimension to the job. Aurubis seemed a good match. When I found out the plant in Zutphen would be sold I decided to write an open application letter to Aurubis Stolberg. Since October 2022 I work there.

What has your career at Aurubis been like so far? Have you held different positions or perhaps even worked in different departments and locations since you started at Aurubis? If you haven't been with Aurubis for very long, what are your impressions and experiences after your first few months?

It has been great; I’ve had so many opportunities. I started in customer service and did that for 3,5 years. Had a work-exchange for 3 weeks at customer service in Pori (Finland) and was involved in the Salesforce project team. Customer service was next to the metal management office and from the beginning I was very interested in the world of scrap and hedging. When the opportunity arose to switch to metal management, I decided to go for it and worked there for 4 years. I realized that for the long term a sales position would suit me better, so I asked if I could return to the sales department and luckily, I could. My last year in Zutphen I worked as a sales manager until the plant was sold to KME. Since October 1st, 2022, I have been working in the sales department of Aurubis Stolberg.

What has motivated you in your career so far? What motivated you to take these career steps (at Aurubis)?

I’m a curious person and like to learn and discover new things. I’m not afraid of change and don’t worry too much about making wrong choices anymore. “It’s better to regret something you did than something you didn’t do” is my opinion on many things in life. I’ve been very lucky with managers and colleagues who believed in me, expressed that, and gave me opportunities to grow. Changing from customer service to metal management was a big step, much bigger than I realized beforehand. If I had known how stressful and difficult the first years would be, I might not have done it. Therefore, it’s good not to always know in advance how things will turn out and instead just follow your curiosity and give new things a try.

What do you do in your current role at Aurubis? Feel free to give examples of current projects, if applicable.

I have two roles within the sales department: my main role is being part of the feasibility & pricing team. We check non-standard inquiries from sales managers on feasibility and provide a price level that they can offer. Besides this, I’m also a sales manager for a few customers. This means analyzing markets, building and maintaining relations with customers, closing contracts and finding new business opportunities.

In addition, I’m the local coordinator for Women4Metals. I think it’s important that this great initiative is widely supported.

What do you particularly like about your current job?

The diversity in tasks and contacts. In feasibility & pricing we work closely together with colleagues from production planning, business development and the quality department. I learn so much from them. This really contributes to my development as a sales manager. I also really enjoy the international contacts with colleagues and customers. As mentioned in the first question, it gives a different dimension to the job if you work with people from other countries.

How would you explain your job to a toddler?

We collect all old cars and appliances in our company and then try to make all the material new! All part of the cars that shine and is metal!

Which five technical terms are important for your work?

Be up to date with the latest technology and have access to the latest international standards.
Project Management
Sustainability
Time Scheduling
Safety and HSE issues

What makes Aurubis unique for you?

In my perspective, working in Aurubis would be a great opportunity, since, there is a chance to communicate with diverse group as well as to work in innovative projects in one of the well-known companies in the world and to cooperate with cutting-edge technology companies.

Is there something, a nice anecdote, or a special experience that you associate with Aurubis?

Yes! It's related to 5-6 months ago when I worked at Aurubis for almost three months. At that time I hadn’t had a day off or a vacation. Once I asked my manager for a "day off" to be with my family. Then he called me and said you can take more time and be with your family for a longer period of time as you wish and don't put any pressure on yourself, which was surprising for me!

Is there something, a nice anecdote, or a special experience that you associate with Aurubis?

Yes! It's related to 5-6 months ago when I worked at Aurubis for almost three months. At that time I hadn’t had a day off or a vacation. Once I asked my manager for a "day off" to be with my family. Then he called me and said you can take more time and be with your family for a longer period of time as you wish and don't put any pressure on yourself, which was surprising for me!

Is there a big dream that you would like to fulfill someday?

I think everyone has a dream in their mind! For me, in terms of my career, it is to be known as a reliable, trustworthy, well-known, and experienced engineer in the market, and in the future, a manager in the industry. I also aspire to work on various projects that will make the world a better place and improve the quality of life for people.