What Lies Behind a Working Life:
Success with Small Teams
(mud) – Those who arrive at the office in the morning are not always just focused on their current tasks. Sometimes, personal matters are also on their minds. This also applies to WTH employees—especially since some have international backgrounds. Today, Dieter Holst shares his thoughts on work with us.
When he’s not working, Dieter Holst enjoys being on the move with his wife: “We love traveling to all the beautiful destinations within about a three-hour drive from us. Sometimes we go by bike, but we also love hiking.” A father of two grown children and grandfather of one grandchild, he feels most at home with his family, loves reading passionately, and enjoys playing badminton.
He began his professional life over 45 years ago in mechanical engineering and has been working in sales for nearly 30 years. “I’ve been working in sales at WTH since 2006,” says Dieter Holst. “The areas of work, products, and customers have constantly evolved over the years. Looking at our current client list, many names are very familiar to me.”
What he appreciates is that the company has continually developed—in small steps. “The IT setup when I started 19 years ago did function,” he says, “but today, it’s just a memory.” Many of these incremental improvements have led to the current state of the company’s systems—CRM, data analysis, presentations, and hardware.
“The success of WTH also lies in our small-team concept,” Holst explains. “A small group of 2–3 employees works closely together on a specific topic.” That’s why one of his standard phrases when visiting customers is: “I’m still on the road this week, but if you have any questions, feel free to call Natalie Thunig. She’s my ‘sparring partner’ and has everything under control.”
And the future? What does Dieter Holst expect from it? “I would like to continue working for a few more years,” he says, and adds: “After that, I’ll be happy to look after my grandchild—or grandchildren—so that the parents can continue working full-time and go away without the kids at least once a month. In the rest of the time, I’ll visit museums, exhibitions, and concerts—and combine it with staying in all the beautiful places I couldn’t stop in during my business travels.”
