Page 8: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2012)

??8Maritime Reporter & Engineering News INTERVIEWDR. RENÉ UMLAUFT, MAN DIESEL & TURBO Taking the reins of a large industrial con- glomerate is a challenge in the best oftimes. Taking the reins of MAN Diesel & Turbo during the most challenging world economy of a generation takes nerve, re- solve and a solid plan. Meet Dr. René Um- lauft, the CEO of one of the world?s dominant power companies, as he helps steer it towards the future. By Greg Trauthwein, editor Dr. René Umlauft, MAN Diesel & Turbo ThinkGLOBALAct LOCALAs any maritime power supplier could surely attest, resting on one?s laurels is not an option in today?s market: a gener- ally stagnate global industrial situation,mixed with environmental regulations and fuel prices that are simultaneouslyspiraling higher. In tandem, vessel own- ers of every genre make demands that in- herently at odds with one another:competitive pricing and seamless per- formance; reduced emission and reducedfuel consumption; with the seamless de-livery of advanced technologies and service, all geared to help vessel owners better manage fleets and their bottomlines better. All in a day?s work for Dr. René Um- lauft, CEO of MAN Diesel & Turbo. Dr. Umlauft took the helm a little more than a year ago, and took some time onthe occasion of SMM in Hamburg, Ger- many, to share with Maritime Reporter his insights on building and maintaining a diversified power provider that is a global company with an increasingly sharper eye on local activities. A Diverse Pedigree MAN Diesel & Turbo is an indelible player in global maritime circles, but Dr. Umlauft is a relative newcomer, having spent the last 21 years of his career pri-marily on the power side of the business with another power company. ?I joined MAN last year, and I have a lot of experience in gas turbines, steam turbines and power plants,? said Dr. Um- lauft. ?I have been in this position for al- most one year now, and one of the main initiatives which we decided from the outset was the introduction of our new global organization.? Essentially, MAN Diesel & Turbo, which already has an impressive global footprint, set out to get more in touchwith customers and their needs on thelocal and regional level, and to that end have split the world into nine regions, each with its own CEO and CFO report- ing back to headquarters to one of thecompany?s five board members. Dr. Um- lauft is specifically responsible for three regions: India, Russia (incl. CIS), and From the technical point of view, I am sure we are able to solve (the environmental) issues. The ques- tion is: are our customers able to invest in the new technology based on the new legislation, particularly in light of the ongoing sluggish world economy?MR#10 (1-9):MR Template 10/5/2012 10:28 AM Page 8