Alumni of the Month April 2015

«Strong partners - a collaboration between a family business and a start-up» Alumni of the Month April 2015 Helge Mensching & Andreas Zäch

Helge Mensching Andreas Zäch Hanover, Germany 28 years MSc Entrepreneurship 2010-2012 Master, 2012 – present time Ph.D. Student-staff-ration, location, reputation in the field of ENT START Liechtenstein & UniSport

Country of origin Age Academic degree Period of study at uni.li Why uni.li?

Student initiatives

Oberriet, Switzerland 27 years BSc Business Administration 2008 – 2014 Student-staff-ration, proximity, range of majors offered START Liechtenstein & Buddy Program

«Mountains»

Liechtenstein described in one word

«Hoi»

Proximity, smallness, personal contact

What makes Liechtenstein (economically) unique?

Lots of entrepreneurs with innovative ideas

Proprietor & president of the supervisory board of the Heinz von Heiden Swiss AG

What is your current job?

Owner & manager of the AZ Massivhaus GmbH

Classic exterior & modern interior

Which architectural style do you like best?

Walmdach & open floor plan

Being diplomatic, tolerant & well-balanced

What are your strengths?

Having great common sense, being determined & committed

Cycling & skiing «If not now, when?»

Hobbies / interests Philosophy of life

Architecture, motor cycling & traveling «The world belongs to the brave!»

Helge & Andreas - both of you studied at the University of Liechtenstein, however not in the same year. How did you end up working together?

And what are you doing exactly?

Helge: During our studies, we ran into each other a couple of times at private happenings or university events. Thus, I kind of knew Andreas quite well already. One of my first tasks as new president of the supervisory board of Heinz von Heiden Swiss AG was expanding the business to Eastern part of Switzerland. It was around that time that I heard of Andreas plans to start his own company - the AZ Massivhaus GmbH. Hence, I approached him to discuss a future collaboration. Today, Andreas manages the overall distribution of our products in Eastern Switzerland. Today, Heinz von Heiden is with more than 44,00 sold houses the most successful company in its sector.

Andreas: To be more precise - I am responsible for the brand development with the goal to increase direct sales.

Andreas, you studied Business Administration. Now you are selling houses. How did you end up in this industry sector and what does it take to be successful in your field?

Andreas: To be honest - me working in the construction industry rather happened by coincidence. Though I did work a couple of months at construction sites as road builder and electrician during my studies. To this day, I benefit from this practical experience. After finishing high school, I was a commercial apprentice at the municipality of Oberriet - a small city in Switzerland. As part of my training I worked at the land registry office and at the local planning office for half a year each. These first insights into the construction industry were further deepened through special training such as licensed builders consultant and key account manager at Heinz von Heiden. I need to learn new things everyday to keep on expanding my knowledge in this industry. Also, I learn a lot through my employees who have previously worked in several industry sectors as i.e. draughtsman, bricklayer or construction manager.

Helge, your family runs a business and Andreas, you work for a family enterprise. What makes this type of business special to you?

Helge: In my opinion, the biggest difference - or benefit if you will - is that decisions can be made at much higher speed. This is due to the fact that communication between those in charge is more direct. Also, family businesses are usually more independent from banks and other shareholders.

Andreas: The company culture - clearly. Working at a family business allows you to really get to know your colleagues and employees. I prefer this to the rather anonymous environment at large corporations. Additionally, family businesses often run on a long-term strategy which strives for sustainable growth. At Heinz von Heiden, the next generation of company leaders is already actively shaping the firms future.

What skills or knowledge acquired during your studies at University of Liechtenstein can you apply in your current job? And reverse, what kind of input did you miss?

Andreas: In general, a business degree at the university is very theoretical. Freshmen should be aware of this before they start studying. It is relatively difficult to apply the learned concepts one to one.

"For me, however, my studies were highly important for understanding the business context and for gaining a solid knowledge base of all relevant areas of business, including economics."

What are your job-related and academic goals for the next five years?

Helge: My professional goal is to further increase the market share in Eastern Switzerland. In addition, we are currently busy expanding to French-speaking Switzerland. My academic goal is to finish my parttime Ph.D. at the University of Liechtenstein.

Andreas: Over the next five years I want to fully focus on developing my company. My goal is to grow my network of construction specialists and distributors. Also, I aim to build several dozen houses per year. Whether we achieve this goal depends on the general movement of the real estate market and the national economy.

You both studied abroad. Helge you went to Vienna, Kiev, Paris and Andreas, you spent time in South Korea and Pakistan. In comparison, how international is the University of Liechtenstein?

What was the most memorable moments for you in all these countries?

Helge: After studying at the Vienna University of Economics, I wanted to focus on the theories of founding and managing companies. During my research, I discovered the University of Liechtenstein with its excellent student-staff-ratio and its optimal equipment in its beautiful location in form of the former Spoerry cotton mill. And eventually, I applied!

«And when I see how well the University of Liechtenstein has developed, I know that completing the master’s program at the uni.li was a good decision. »

Andreas: Considering its size, University of Liechtenstein is very international! I spent two semester abroad in completely different cultures: Pakistan and South Korea. Pakistan being a rather poor country taught me that one doesn`t need all that luxury that is so taken for granted in Europe.

South Korea, on the other hand, is a very progressive country - especially in the technology sector. Further, the strong work ethic of students impressed me. Europeans could learn a thing or two from them.

What do you recommend prospective students?

What do you think should students do or avoid whenever possible during their studies?

Helge: My advice would be living close to campus next to being a really active member of the university’s community. There are lots of electives, public lectures and yummy Apéros (very typical Swiss get-together) on offer. Make sure to get involved in lots of extracurricular activities - that way you will get the most out of your time at the uni.li. First and foremost - great friends and a good network.

And finally, is the Heinz von Heiden Group currently looking for budding architects? Are there any possibilities for our students to do an interesting internships or future traineeships at your company?

Helge: Absolutely! Since our company is – as already mentioned - lately growing at a great pace, we are always looking to expand. So if you are interested, please contact us. We would be very happy about some help from young and ambitious students. Just get in touch!

The author as the head of the coordination center for alumni, cultural and student activities Verena Burtscher is responsible for the development of the alumni network at the University of Liechtenstein