Mr. Snyder, how do you know you are open to change?
My position at B. Braun has changed several times over the past six years. I started after school with an apprenticeship as a machinist, and today I work as an injection molding designer. What I like most about it is how versatile my area of responsibility is: some days I’m on site at the production facility discussing possible changes that need to be made, while on others I’m on the job as an engineer—so it's never boring.
What changes that B. Braun—the next decade envisions have been difficult for you?
The biggest challenge of my job is efficient time management. As a machinist, I worked on projects one after the other, but as an injection molding designer, I work on several projects at the same time. Since I’ve only been in this role for a few months, I’m still having a hard time prioritizing my tasks. However, I have found that it helps if I list all of my to-dos in writing and structure my thoughts on each item before I get to work.
And which ones did you find easy?
Stepping out of my comfort zone and daring to do something new has never been a problem for me. During my apprenticeship, for example, I spent six months at B. Braun's headquarters in Melsungen. I remember that the apprentices worked together across departments for a few weeks each year and were able to learn from each other—that was an unforgettable experience that has shaped my career path to this day.
What contribution would you like to make to the B. Braun—the next decade strategy?
I think that we can only achieve comprehensive change if we look beyond our own horizons—and if we tackle our tasks together, exchanging ideas with colleagues from other areas of responsibility and, above all, from other subsidiaries around the world. Thanks to my stay in Germany and my network there, I was able to work out a proposal on how we could save costs by having some components that we need for injection molding production here in Pennsylvania produced in Melsungen instead of purchasing them from an external supplier. I'm proud of the fact that I was able to help the company achieve this increase in efficiency, I want to continue to play an active role in leading B. Braun into the next decade.
