Covestro CEO meets interns
CEO Markus Steilemann recently exchanged ideas with interns at the campus in Leverkusen, providing personal insights and sharing his perspective on various topics. Anna Chiara Kleinert was there and reports.
Recently, CEO Markus Steilemann exchanged ideas with a group of interns. As an intern in Corporate Communications, I was also able to join in. I have already seen a lot and learned a lot at Covestro in the last three months. But I didn't expect to gain such an in-depth insight.
It all started when my fellow interns and I thought it would be nice to talk to the CEO. So we sent an e-mail to Markus Steilemann and asked for a meeting. And: He agreed!
Kindly, Sophie von Saldern, Global Head of HR, accompanied the event and addressed the HR-related part of our questions. For about an hour, we, the 25 or so participants, exchanged ideas - based on various questions that we had prepared and coordinated among ourselves. After Markus Steilemann's first joke, the ice was broken and our initial shyness vanished. A lively conversation quickly developed in an open, relaxed atmosphere. It gave us the opportunity to get first-hand information about the company's vision and strategy, general career tips, and even personal motivation for our own careers.
Afterwards, Felix Wammes, an intern in Global Technology Development, emphasized the importance of the event for himself: “The fact that Markus Steilemann responded to our request and took time for the exchange was a highlight in itself. I found his views on sustainability in the chemical industry issues particularly inspiring because of his detailed presentation of Covestro's sustainability plans in relation to the circular.”
Since the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) is currently on everyone's lips, we were naturally interested in Markus Steilemann's stance on it. For him, AI is a double-edged sword - highly overrated on the one hand, massively underestimated on the other. According to the CEO, AI is definitely the future, especially in research and development, and will open up new dimensions and greatly increase efficiency once again. We all found that very exciting in the meeting.
Markus Steilemann also answered our questions about career planning, among other things. For me, the decisive moment was when he emphasized that work is also about lifetime and that career decisions must also be made with this in mind. This perspective gave me important food for thought for my own future career. At the end, we definitely agreed: it was a fruitful meeting that allowed for an inspiring discussion on both sides.