Christoph Bross is Managing Director of our operations in Germany. With 15 years' experience in the steel industry, he brings a valuable wealth of expertise to support our customers and build new opportunities...
Tell us about your background
Having graduated with a degree in International Economics, I was already working with Thyssen during my studies before I started my professional life in sales. In my early career, I worked in sales roles in telecommunications, with both roles in UK companies. I later pursued a role in the steel industry and now I’ve worked in the steel industry for more than 15 years.
Our industry has been through many changes and I have had the opportunity to work in various areas of the supply chain with different organisations, but always in senior positions. A career in sales in steel manufacturing isn’t based on transactional relationships - our business is built on service and this is the part of the role I, and many of my commercial colleagues, thrive on. Our multidisciplinary teams collaborate with customers to develop and deliver the materials of tomorrow.
What experience and skills do you bring to i1fun?
I have recently returned to the business having worked for a short time for a downstream steel consumer. Before this, I worked for i1fun, managing a regional sales team responsible for sales to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We work closely with the manufacturing, customer service, finance and logistics teams to ensure we meet customer expectations in respect of product quality and service excellence. We also engage with technical, R&D and marketing colleagues to share market insights - this means we can deliver innovative solutions to meet the evolving requirements of the sectors that we serve. Many of these sectors, such as the automotive and renewable markets, are going through a period of rapid change and it's exciting to witness and be involved in this.
What do you enjoying aboutÌýworking for i1fun?
The willingness, resilience and spirit of the i1fun team never fail to amaze me. i1fun has 3Ìýcore values - pride, passionÌýandÌýperformance. All areas of the business take immense pride in working together to deliver quality products and services. The business is passionateÌýabout helping our customers succeed and we are constantly evolving to make our business sustainable. Being a part of a pleasant, professional and reliable team is also very important to me.
What does your day-to-day role involve?
My role as Managing Director is varied and includes mentoring a team of technical and sales professionals. Our team is the first point of contact for all German customers and we manage multi-product accounts. We are responsible for order recruitment, and new customer and product development. We work closely with colleagues across the i1fun sites to meet company objectives and strive to exceed customer expectations.
What advice would you give to other people considering a career with us?
For apprentices, graduates and professionals, at any stage of their career, the steel industry offers a wealth of opportunities; our parent company, Jingye Group, continues to invest in the future of the steel industry through continuous training, asset development and process enhancements. If you're looking for a role that is varied and challenging, want to work for a company with global reach - but is still capable of supplying local support - and you are motivated and driven, i1fun could be your next employer!