Am I a newcomer@GTS?

Jörn Putzier, Putzier Oberflächentechnik GmbH, Leichlingen, Germany

The GTS-Newcomer get-togethers are becoming more and more popular. Three years in a row, the number of people taking part saw a clear increase, with one record turnout after the other. The new orientation of our Newcomers has, however, led to questions which I will now attempt to answer. The key questions which keep coming up when people register for the meetings are: “Am I a newcomer? Am I allowed to take part in the meetings?” To answer these questions, we first of all have to “go back to the roots” to understand the basic idea behind the newcomer meetings and how they have changed as a whole.

The Newcomers were initiated by several like-minded people who were at similar stages in their professional lives. Corporate succession was one important topic and there was a desire to talk to others from similar business climes faced with the same problems and responsibilities. The focus was on exchanging experiences and offering each other tips. And there was also the wish to take a look behind the scenes at other companies and see how they coped with everyday business situations. To this end the circle of newcomers was formed and the appropriate setting created.

Even if the focus is no longer simply the exchange of ideas among succession candidates and senior staff, the aim and purpose of the meetings is still aligned to the original tenet: networking and technical interchange. Everyone should have the chance to make new contacts. Everyone is addressed who is either new to GTS, has taken up a new position in the association or would like to impart his knowledge and experience as an established member of GTS to help others to get their bearings and settle in.

As you can see, it’s not only true-blue newcomers who are welcome at our get-togethers, but anyone who feels they can help GTS to “live” the idea of mutual communication and exchange. Gaining interesting insights into other GTS members’ businesses and facilities is an added extra to round it all off. These meetings serve the purpose of reciprocal exchange on the one hand, but can also be a vehicle for presenting one’s own company and services, as we recently witnessed at Sulzer – a very impressive offering.

Once again defining the background of GTS Newcomers is intended to encourage people not to reduce everything to the term Newcomer. And having said this, we would like to put aside the search for a new name for the time being and keep the established title “GTS Newcomers”. After all, it has almost become a piece of GTS heritage.

And now to return to the questions posed at the beginning: Am I a newcomer? Not necessarily. Am I allowed to take part in the meetings? Yes, absolutely!