“Continuing to win gold medals for INIT”

Mr Timmann, you will take over the baton from Jürgen Greschner on 1 October. What do you see as the focus of your future activities?

Of course, I want to continue Jürgen’s work, and my goal is to maintain the incredible level of success of recent years – in other words, to continue winning gold medals for INIT. Within the INIT Group, I see great potential for cross-selling across the individual subsidiaries. It is important that we recognize what our industry needs at an early stage, including taking over the operation of our customers’ systems. Especially in these times of staff
shortages in the public transport sector, it makes sense to pool resources and hand over operation of the systems to a system manufacturer such as INIT who can do this most effectively. Tasks that we can take on for customers include IT hosting, tariff management, vehicle maintenance and the operation of cloud solutions. We are also particularly keen to support our customers in the area of cybersecurity – for example, with applications that ensure data security.

Another significant product area which is increasingly in demand is account-based ticketing (ABT) – for which we are experts. In Germany, medium-sized cities in particular are pioneering this technology with our support, and we predict a global trend towards implementing ABT. For example, we are currently setting up a cloud ticketing system for MARTA in Atlanta.

Mr Timmann, what appeals to you about your new position? What was the INITial spark that led to you accepting the position?

Firstly, I see incredible opportunities for INIT in this market and I am eager to seize them with the help of the amazing team here in Karlsruhe and worldwide. Secondly, the basis for my personal motivation is always trust. This trust, which Dr Gottfried Greschner and my colleagues on the Management Board have placed in me, is a real inspiration to me and I am determined to show they made the right decision in appointing me.

Mr Timmann, you will become a member of INIT’s Management Board, but at the same time remain Managing Director of INIT’s subsidiary HanseCom, which you have led very successfully. Is this a double burden or double happiness?

Double happiness! For my overall wellbeing as a person, who I work with is really important. I want to look forward to each working day and to seeing the people I come into contact with, either in person or on video calls. That’s definitely the caseat HanseCom and I have a similar feeling at INIT. Here, too, the corporate culture is characterized by trusting cooperation.

Mr Timmann, life isn’t just about INIT. Tell us something about yourself. 

I'm a family man, but there's never enough time for the family when you're striving for gold medals in your career which is why I enjoy family activities all the more. My two daughters have already reached adulthood and my four-and-a-half year old twins keep me on my toes. For the littletime I have left in addition to work and family life, I’m back to the Olympic gold medals Jürgen mentioned before: As an honorary judge in artistic gymnastics with an international license, I travel to the large, important competitions. For example, I judged the World Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, in March.

Dr Greschner, you will continue to make your knowledge and experience available to INIT in your role as Director, but you plan to reduce your professional commitment in future. What plans do you have for your free time?

In my new position, I will support sales and continue to draw on the national and international networks that I have builtup over the last few years. However, I will be cutting back a little in terms of time so that I have more time for my family andfriends. I would like to conquer peaks a little less in the professional and more in the private sphere: one of my aims is to continue hiking European long-distance hiking trails. I’m also planning to do more charity work and do my bit for children who have been given fewer opportunities in life.

Dr Greschner, if you had to give Mr Timmann the very essence of your experience, what would you say to him?

In the position of Chief Sales Officer, you definitely need a pioneering spirit, which Martin has already demonstrated. You need a vision of where you want to be in five years’ time – not just in terms of sales, but also in terms of markets and the further development of your company. You also need stamina, because there are always setbacks. The most important thing, however, is having a motivated team that you can inspire with your vision.

Dr Greschner, Mr Timmann, you both know the industry inside out. Where do you see public transport in ten years’ time?

Jürgen Greschner: If we succeed in solving the current lack of human and financial resources, then nothing stands in the way of growth in public transport. All the megatrends speak in favour of this: due to demographic developments, more people need better support to get around. On-demand transport will certainly be expanded to provide mobility for people with disabilities, as in the USA, or those who live away from urban centres, possibly supported by autonomous vehicles. In my opinion, the transport company of the future will develop into a region’s mobility expert, offering not only traditional public transport services and perhaps ondemand services, but also other mobility services on a single platform, such as rental bikes, rental cars and scooters. This will create a seamless mobility offering that better connects rural areas with city centres. In some cities and regions, such as Vienna, this is already well developed – not least here in Karlsruhe with the regiomove app, which we are developing further in conjunction with the transport companies.

Martin Timmann: The transport companies themselves are best placed to understand mobility demands and how to deliverthem. In future, they could sell mobility packages to companies that are tailored in such a way that they represent a useful and attractive alternative to company cars. In addition to public transport, other mobility services could be included. The benefit of all this is improved flexibility. These mobility packages require mobility platforms, but also self-service portals in the background, simple accounting systems and an operations control system that enables connections to be made between on-demand journeys and traditional public transport services. In other words, a network of complementary modes of transport that truly works. In future, the role of transport companies will be to orchestrate complementary mobility services.

Interview by Martin Fricke and Anette Auberle.