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People of Wyma: Matthias Kerkmann

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As Wyma has grown and evolved, the projects we work on have become increasingly more complex. Developing processing line solutions capable of dozens of tonnes per hour requires a high level of innovation, collaboration and commitment.

Product Managers like Matthias Kerkmann are essential parts of the Wyma experience, the people who have the closest relationships with our customers and partners across the globe. We spoke to Matthias about his role at Wyma and the importance of customer connection when developing a project.

Originally training as an engineer in Germany, Matthias found himself working in the renewable energy sector in the Northern Territory in Australia in the mid-2000s. A keen rock climber and mountaineer, an offer to relocate to New Zealand in 2007 was the perfect opportunity.

Having met Wyma Managing Director Andrew Barclay in 2010, Matthias soon found himself working with Andrew on another venture before eventually finding his way over to Wyma where he is now a senior member of the Project Management team. It is a challenging role that Matthias says hinges on communication.

“That’s the job – always communicating with the customer. Every day I get questions and enquiries about new projects, Wyma salespeople and install teams asking for assistance. I could be working on several different projects at a time in different phases and at different scales, so it can be quite challenging dealing with our strategic partners and to keep things streamlined and organised to ensure we meet customer expectations.”

While most of Matthias’ work takes place at his desk and modern tools have made collaboration with customers all over the world easier, he is eagerly awaiting the time when he can get back on the road to visit customers face-to-face.

“Before the pandemic, I would often visit customer sites, so I’m looking forward to being able to travel soon. I enjoy getting out and seeing our customers in Europe and being on the ground is always a good opportunity to build those relationships and check in on how everything is going,” he says.

“It’s also always appreciated by customers when they know that they can talk to the technical experts in their own language. Having conversations face-to-face is important in our industry; when you know the people and their challenges well you can contribute a lot more.”

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