What does an International Marketing Coordinator do, Ms Bullmann?
How many languages do you need to speak to work in International Marketing at GEZE? Nina Bullmann gets this question a lot. However, the duties this native of Ludwigsburg carries out each day can differ widely. We asked her for more insight on her duties.
Coordination of global marketing activities at GEZE
The telephone rings. A long telephone number that starts with +47 appears on the display - it is a call from the GEZE Scandinavia subsidiary, which is headquartered near Oslo. Nina Bullmann easily switches into English. She quickly needs to coordinate new product videos that the subsidiary has produced in-house with the caller. "Discussions like these are just part of my everyday work, although each day is different" she explains after the call. "As an International Marketing Coordinator, I maintain regular contact with all 37 subsidiaries worldwide, mainly in English. There are some I communicate with more frequently, and some less frequently - this mainly has to do with the size of the market or the size of the subsidiary". As a responsible Project Manager, Nina Bullmann consults with and serves GEZE subsidiaries all over the world. She also concentrates on marketing controlling to increase GEZE's visibility in all markets and to identify and coordinate further marketing measures.
I regularly have meetings with Marketing colleagues from other countries, where we can bring one another up to date - GEZE Scandinavia, for example, made its own short product film. We learned from one another through the exchange, and were able to take advantage of synergy effects.
Nina Bullmann, International Marketing CoordinatorInterest in communication and other cultures
Nina Bullmann supports communication worldwide from the Leonberg headquarters. © GEZE GmbH
Listening to Nina Bullmann talk, you can see how excited she gets about communication: "Enjoying communicating with colleagues all over the world is a very important part of my job". Her work focuses specifically on supporting global communication from the headquarters in Leonberg. "We support our subsidiaries, for example, with advertising materials, at trade fairs or with digital solutions. This can include preparations for a project launch, social media campaigns - or even brochures and campaigns tailored to the target market. We always keep corporate objectives in mind, along with our corporate identity and market controlling".
It is important that despite all cultural differences, the corporate design is adhered to worldwide. © GEZE GmbH
Always keeping the GEZE corporate design in mind
In all of her marketing activities, Nina Bullmann always needs to keep the corporate design, which applies to the entire company, in mind. "Part of my job is ensuring that our corporate design is complied with worldwide, across all of the cultural differences". Doing so requires a good measure of tact - and skill in persuasive communication: "Of course, there are different approaches to designing and producing marketing campaigns in different countries - as well as different tastes ... sometimes, it is important to be able to mediate between different viewpoints" she explains.
Every time I go through a door at the airport, my eye is automatically drawn to the logo of the manufacturer or on the door closer. In our department, we call it the GEZE glance. We all develop it over the years.
Nina Bullmann, International Marketing Coordinator
Nina Bullmann has now been working at GEZE since 2008 and feels completely at home. © GEZE GmbH
Here to stay: From trainee to International Marketing Coordinator
How do you become Marketing Coordinator at GEZE, anyway? As a communication professional, Nina Bullmann was expecting this question: "After completing my degree in Nuremberg, I looked back toward home in 2008. I found the GEZE Trainee programme, which had a job advertisement titled "Trainee International Business". The then 26 year-old applied for the position, then started the one-year programme shortly thereafter.
During this year, she gained insight into many different departments throughout the company: "As a trainee, I learned about Logistics, HR, Sales, Purchasing, and of course Marketing. This all-around training was a great way to get a feel for GEZE's DNA and meet different people". Nina Bullmann was successful too: after the one-year programme, she was hired directly in International Marketing, where she still works today.
Work/life balance with a GEZE glance
Of course, life with two young children can be hectic. That is why Nina Bullmann is currently working part-time, giving her sufficient time for her two sons: "I'm a family person - and very devoted to my home town. The fact that I can combine both of these things with my career is a big benefit for me". The ability to work from home occasionally is also helpful in finding a good work/life balance. However, as a communicative person she is always drawn back to the office: "Direct discussions with my colleagues is very important!"
Her passion for learning about the world and about people draws her abroad each year. She just has to pack up her luggage and her family and see something new. Of course, when she is on vacation she does not think much about work - although, as she says with a wink: "Every time I go through a door at the airport, my eye is automatically drawn to the logo of the manufacturer or on the door closer. In our department, we call it the GEZE glance. We all develop it over the years".
What are some key requirements for working in International Marketing at GEZE?
- English (business fluency), additional foreign languages are an advantage
- Enjoy interacting with people and cultures around the world
- Ability to work well on a team
- Good organisational skills
- Eagerness to take on new challenges
- Creativity - particularly when finding solutions
