Meet the team: Stefan Jordan
International Key Account Manager Transport
TRANSPRESS
This month Stefan Jordan, Key Account Manager Transport Flooring for Forbo Flooring Systems, sat down to tell us a little more about his role and how he works with clients to achieve their flooring requirements.
Can you describe your role and the areas that you cover?
I’m a Key Account Manager for Transportation (Rail, Marine and Automotive), and I cover Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our main focus is on our clients that require flooring for moveable modes of transport, with everything from trains to cable cars covered. I joined Forbo on 1st January 2020.
What does a typical day/week look like for you?
Of course, the pandemic changed the way people work all around the world, but my role also differs depending on the requirements of the client. I’m constantly searching for new opportunities and contracts with clients in the transportation sector, and I use a lot of different mediums to hold regular meetings with them, whether this is via video calls or travelling for face-to-face meetings. Presenting and visiting expos and shows is another huge aspect of my role, and while this reduced heavily during the pandemic, it is slowly recovering back to normal. I really enjoy building relationships with clients, and I’m really excited to be returning to more face-to-face meetings.
How has project work, customers’ expectations and requirements changed since the pandemic?
The work in itself has not really slowed at all, and while the process has been elongated, the number of contracts, clients and projects haven’t really been affected. The contracts we work on are long-term projects, with some planned as much as 7 years in advance, meaning that COVID-19 shouldn’t have too much of a long-term effect on our transport business.
How do you think Forbo Transport brings value to a project and to your customers?
We are placing a real focus on introducing sustainable products to the market and exploring the use of renewable materials more and more. Our factories are also trying to use all the recycled material from the manufacturing process, which is a key element of our overall sustainability commitment. The aim is to offer our customers a full scope of products for all areas, so that they don’t have to work with a
number of different suppliers to complete a single project, we can provide everything to them. Forbo products are also incredibly unique, which offers something different from others in the industry, for example, some of our textile ranges, such as Flotex Vision FR, and Coral Move Vision FR are digitally printed which creates a lot of flexibility for the client.
What does a successful project look like for you?
Ultimately, a successful project for us is when the client is happy with the end result, based on their enquiry and requirements. If we can exceed expectations, all the better. We pride ourselves on having a number of products that meet the needs of our clients, so we are well-positioned to ensure that every project is completed with great satisfaction.
What do you like the most about working at Forbo?
The thing I am most impressed with at Forbo is that everyone in the company is listened to and ideas are explored. I’ve worked with companies in the past that are not as open to suggestions, and as a result, you tend to feel less valued. I also really like the amount of focus on sustainability practices to build a better future for our children.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I spend the majority of my spare time socialising with friends and family, which relaxes me following a busy week in work. I also enjoy riding my road bike to keep fit and to explore a little.
I’m a really keen traveller, and now that we seem to be getting past the pandemic, I’m extremely eager to get back out and start travelling again. I’m also a huge Porsche enthusiast, so you’ll often find me reading up on the latest Porsche news!