City's pace attracts global manager
11/8/2004 15:34
Peter Borger who has spent his entire business career abroad in different
countries, always considers himself a foreigner no matter where he is living -
somewhat of a global manager.
The serious-looking vice president of Siemens
China joined the German-based industrial giant 40 years ago as a commissioning
engineer soon after his graduation.
The 62-year-old native of Munich,
Germany, who is also a member of the Management Board of Siemens China, said
upon joining the company, immediately he was sent abroad to Libya.
"I can say
if anybody has the chance to go abroad and work in different countries, he or
she should not miss it," he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"For
me, it has been a very rewarding and interesting life that I have had for about
35 years."
After being based in 11 countries, including Argentina, Greece and
India, he was transferred to Shanghai in 1998.
"The first time I arrived in
China was in 1984 when I was just a visitor," Borger said. "It was a kind of
shock when I came here a second time in 1998. I was not prepared for such
exciting changes."
The many newly built skyscrapers, the much improved
infrastructure and living environment had made Shanghai a totally different city
since 1984.
"The city of Shanghai is moving fast forward and that is very
close to my own mentality," said Borger, who would like to be part of these
changes. And for him, change seems to be the best challenge of all.
Recently,
the electronics and engineering company celebrated the 100th anniversary of the
opening of its first office in China.
With ambitious growth targets and
increased use of local talent, the company is set to invest 1 billion euro
(US$1.21 billion) in China in the coming few years. The investment is designed
to double its present sales volume of some 4 billion euro in the next three to
five years.
By establishing a number of successful companies in the Pudong
New Area, Borger said the district's ideal investment environment provided
Siemens with an ideal place to develop and grow rapidly.
"The district
provides us with outstanding infrastructure for our operation," he said.
"Everything is of high standard."
As a committed and trustworthy partner in
the city's development, Siemens has actively been engaged in the education of
Shanghai students and has expanded its exchange and cooperation with local
universities.
"I personally believe education is the key to a continuous and
sustainable growth in China," Borger said.
He said Siemens had established
good relationships with a number of key universities in China. At Shanghai Jiao
Tong University it provides scholarships to talented students and professors,
arranges seminars and workshops and supplies advanced materials.
"We are
partners in good times but also in bad times," he said. "During the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome outbreak, a most difficult time for China, Siemens donated
some 7 million yuan (US$843,373) of medical equipment to the country."
As a
strategic planner in the company, Borger said he is basically patient. "What I
like most is to work closely with the young workforce we have."
He went on
explaining that the average age of employees in the company was very young,
around 30 years old.
"Young people here are very much committed, ambitious,
and innovative," Borger said.
"Compared with my other stops, such as in India
and Brazil, the major difference here is people. They are fast moving and very
open to change."
Apart from his position with Siemens China, Borger is also
the vice president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, a body
devoted to promoting sustainable businesses working in China for EU and Chinese
interests.
Because of his contributions to the development of Shanghai's
economy, Borger has been honored with the Magnolia Prize in 2000 and as an
Honorable Citizen of Shanghai in 2002.
In 2003, he was further honored with
the State Friendship Award by the State Council of China.
Since coming to
Shanghai, Borger said he has started to play golf at least once a week with his
family and friends. "It is a game one can easily play with friends because you
compete with yourself not your friends," he said.
He also has a deep fondness
for collecting Chinese art and furniture, something he developed long before
coming to live in China.
"I am open to any culture and it is easy for me to
adapt myself to the different cultures."
Yang Di
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