Globe-trotting technology chief Juergen Obermann has used different tactics to
succeed in business around the world – from taking a client out and getting
him drunk in Japan to indulging in naked saunas in Finland.
“I once went on a delicate mission to Japan to find out something about a
partner company that was doing something naughty. My wife gave me an
etiquette book which said you should find someone who knows information,
take them out and get them drunk so they tell you the information, but it
warned that you can’t directly use that knowledge and get the informant in
trouble,” says Obermann.
“So I took out one of the managers, who duly got wasted and told me everything
I needed to know. But then I had to be careful, ask other people questions,
and then return to Japan later and start making further checks on the
partner company. The misbehaviour soon stopped, the partner actually
apologised and we ended up having a very good business relationship.
“In Finland, the people are very reserved, but if you get close to them, you
end up going to a naked sauna, getting drunk and signing contracts. It
happened that way for us! I was speaking to a lady who said it was very
difficult for women in politics over there because all the decisions are
made in the sauna. Women either have to join in or be excluded.”
Obermann, 46, is the chief executive of GFT
Inboxx, which provides software that enables firms to archive valuable
information online, such as personal details and sensitive company
information. The firm is part of the GFT Group, which has a turnover of 250
million Euros per year and employs around 1,200 people. Obermann travels all
over the world to meet contacts and clients.
Your trips sound interesting.
There have certainly been some strange ones! I remember being on an internal
flight in Russia and about 15 minutes before we were due to land, everyone
decided to get up and get their hand luggage from the overhead compartments.
They were bringing chickens down and all sorts, just when you would expect
everyone to be sitting down with their seat belts on. It wasn’t that long
ago, either.
Any scary moments in the air?
I was flying from Nice to Frankfurt a few years ago and when the plane leaves
Nice airport it turns over the sea to minimise the noise over the town. I
was in a window seat and a seagull flew into the engine, which caused the
engine to fail. We started descending towards the sea at an alarming rate
and I honestly thought we would be landing on the water. Thankfully the
pilot managed to get us back on the ground and we were greeted by fire
engines on the runway.
How often do you travel?
All the time, it seems. I now live in southern France and spend a couple of
days a week in our Hamburg office. The rest of the time I’m travelling
around Europe, often in the UK, the Middle East and the United States. In
previous positions I used to travel even more, often going to the Far East,
but that happens less these days.
How do you get around?
