Career
How I got here
- After school
Youth work
No apprenticeship, but more than ten years as a social worker in municipal youth centres. The pay was poor and the debts grew.
- 1985
Sales: bought a suit, applied, got the job
When the Macintosh appeared, I joined Mac sales as a salesman. My pay grew fivefold — “never regretted the step”. With the Mac came desktop publishing, which I was able to help establish.
- The rise
Head of sales, branches, general management
Responsible for Apple products in five branches in North Rhine-Westphalia, then managing director, with several stops along the way. Youth-centre team spirit instead of deference to authority.
- 1994
The internet for businesses
My last boss did not want to bet on the internet. I did — and set up on my own: as a provider for business customers, with connectivity, websites, mail servers and security technology.
- Through the crises
Shrinking, surviving, rebuilding
After the bursting of the Neuer Markt (Germany’s stock market for technology companies), the small providers died “like flies”. I shrank the company step by step until it was just me — and, as a lone operator, from 2013/14 I built up an Amazon business with mobile-phone accessories, one of the largest sellers in that field.
- Afterwards
Handing over
For health reasons, I handed over the company.
- Afterwards
Resting
Freed from responsibility, I rested for two years at least, without being constantly on the phone.
- Today
omaneo
Instead of retirement, omaneo GmbH: coffee machines from Asia for Europe, barista knowledge as video — and a team of nine AI staff members who work with me.