Michael Bode: “I know a little bit about coffee, but mainly from a consumer’s point of view, of course. However, I love to drink coffee and have a portafilter machine at home. But I didn’t know how extensive the value chain is until the final product reaches the customer.”

NW: “What would you most like to learn about coffee?”

MBo: “I’ve been here at the Neumann Gruppe since September 1 and I’m realizing how diverse and complex it is to bring coffee to the consumer. I was lucky enough to have been to Mexico, to Exportadora Café California, and to see the processes there, from farming to production. That gave me a good understanding of the complexity and there are still many details to learn. It will be great to taste some of the different flavors during our cupping.”

NW: “Do you have a favorite type of coffee or a way of making coffee that you like?”

MBo: “At home I use a blend with 90% Arabica, 10% Robusta, which tastes best to me so far, both for espresso and cappuccino. I like espresso best, and if it has a nice crema on top, I’m happy.”

Nina Wonerow hat Michael Bode im Musterzimmer der Coffee Plaza in Hamburg zum Cupping getroffen.

NW: “What do you particularly like about NKG so far?”

MBo: “The employees. I’ve met a lot of very friendly employees so far – everyone has a lot of knowledge and I’d say coffee in their DNA. It’s incredibly nice to see how enthusiastic and motivated people are. The product coffee, the value chain and the entire coffee business are also very exciting. Here in Hamburg’s Hafencity, we also have a great office building surrounded by the traditional coffee trade environment.”

NW: “What does a typical working day look like for you?”

MBo: “First, I turn on my laptop and have a cup of coffee. Then I’m pretty busy, of course I want to get to know a lot of people and topics, and I have a lot of appointments and meetings. Nevertheless, I always try to find time for a chat, to work on my emails and, of course, to think about the issues in peace and quiet.”

NW: “You said that you’ve already been to Mexico with ECC. Which origin would you most like to travel to next?”

MBo: “The next trip is already planned, I’m going to Brazil. Brazil is the largest and one of the most important countries of origin for NKG and is also very advanced in terms of processes. So, of course, I really want to get to know it, also with regard to our digitalization projects. For our project, the implementation of Dycotrade with Microsoft Dynamics, which we will roll out globally, it is of course important to understand what we will have to deliver in the end. Apart from that, of course, there are many other countries as each one is different.”

General Info

NAME
Michael Bode

DATE OF BIRTH
February 16

FAMILY
Married, one son

COMPANY
Neumann Gruppe

PLACE OF RESIDENCE
Hamburg and still Nürnberg, Germany

POSITION/ DEPARTMENT
Director Group IT and Digitalization

DATE OF FIRST DAY AT NKG
September 1, 2023

NW: “How can you briefly describe your work and your focus at NG?”

MBo: “I am officially responsible for IT and digitalization. IT is about making sure that the work equipment works, that employees are equipped with laptops and cell phones, etc. We also have to make sure that the applications that are used operate and that we have a stable environment and solutions so that there are no disruptions to the business. We also develop applications ourselves. And we have to make sure that IT security is as good as it can be.

Then, of course, we also have projects. Here, requirements from the business are implemented, and in some cases new software solutions are selected and implemented, such as “Dycotrade” (note: Commodity Trading and Risk Management System) or “Cargoo” (note: Transportation Management System). “Workday” as our new HR solution is another example.

These projects will also reappear in the area of digitalization because we need to modernize our IT landscape, our IT ecosystem, and take a holistic view from a process perspective. We generally have older systems that are now reaching their limits, also in terms of achieving the company’s 20/200 strategy, which is why we will implement Dycotrade as a uniform commodity trading solution worldwide. Better, more modern solutions will help us to achieve NKG’s goals. In addition, we also need to look at what else we need in the future.”

NW: “Have you ever caused a real error in IT yourself?”

MBo: “Well, I’m not the youngest anymore and of course you always make a mistake from time to time. Fortunately, these were never things that couldn’t be repaired in a certain way, the effects were always quite minor. (laughs). The important thing is to learn from it!”

NW: “What can I as an employee actually contribute to the topic of cybersecurity?”

MBo: “I think the most important thing every user can do is to check whether an incoming e-mail comes from a trustworthy source or not. Always look twice and don’t open it, especially not the attachment. This is because the virus or so-called ransomware is often hidden there, which is then installed on the computer and can paralyze the entire company.”

NW: “What’s the one thing you need to know about Michael Bode?”

MBo: “Still waters run deep. I think I tend to be someone who perhaps seems a little calmer on the outside. But I have a lot of fire in me and a lot of curiosity and commitment, I do things out of conviction. More ‘hidden talents’ when we meet in person (laughs).”

NW: “What would you like your colleagues to say or think about Michael Bode?”

MBo: “I would like employees to say that this is someone I can approach and talk to, someone who is reliable and who is committed and happy to help. And from an IT perspective, we don’t do IT and digitalization for the sake of it, we do it to support the business, and hopefully people will see it that way. On a personal level, I would perhaps like to see one or two other things (laughs).”

Many thanks to Jens-Peter Lichtenberg and the team at the Hamburg Quality Department for allowing us to visit you for the interview!

Faces and Portraits

Faces and Portraits

On a cupping with Michael Bode

Nina Wonerow: “Welcome to the interview and to the cupping, Michael Bode! Tell me, do you actually know anything about coffee?”