Employee profile: In from the start

Continuous furher development

Continuous development and orientation towards technology trends, there is no standstill at Soloplan.

Marco
Chief Development Officer

Marco’s exciting path and promising career at Soloplan. He is one of the employees who has been a part of the company since its founding and has played an important part in the development and the success of Soloplan.

Marco, you are the first and most loyal employee: Can you describe your career at Soloplan?
In 1992, I started as a software developer for transport and warehouse logistics at Soloplan, where I have continually been able to take on more areas of responsibility, such as conducting workshops, creating specifications sheets and even project management. In 1999, I also took over management responsibilities, and since then I have been responsible for the employees in the development, product management and translation departments.

Why did you decide to join Soloplan back then and how does it feel to have been part of the company for 28 years?
I really like working here, without resting on the fact of being the first employee in the company. Of course, I appreciate it when, for example, new employees find out about the fact that I have been working here for almost 28 years and are impressed by it.

Back then, I decided to join Soloplan because the programming language Borland Pascal was a requirement, my brother lived nearby and, of course, the area of responsibility matched my ideas as a software developer. Besides that, software development was my hobby and Soloplan offered me the chance to turn my hobby into my job.

What has kept you at Soloplan for over 25 years in these fast-moving times?
At Soloplan, the work always moves forward and there is no standstill. Because of the continuous development, we never stand still and the departments are constantly growing. Therefore, the areas of responsibility are continuously growing, which means that my tasks are diverse and never boring. Twenty-eight years ago, I would have never thought that I would one day lead a team and that my position would change so much. Because of the continuous development and my personal growth in the company, I have continued to evolve both professionally and personally and was always able to help optimise and co-develop the products. Another reason why I have been working at Soloplan for such a long time is that my area of responsibility never loses its appeal. I do not just work in front of the screen, but, especially now, as the head of department I also have diverse communicative and organisational tasks. Another reason why I have been here for so long and enjoy it so much is the individual freedom in the implementation and organisation of tasks. There are hardly any limits as to how I need to fulfil my tasks. That makes me very motivated and my incentive grows automatically.

What has made the biggest impact on you during your career at Soloplan and what do you like about your work?
On event has stayed in my head in particular, when I calculated a tour from Frankfurt to Hanau using inTOUR in 1996. Back then, access to the internet was not as easy and fast as it is today, which is why I could not ask other programmers for help either. That definitely was a milestone for me, as I worked out the necessary algorithms for it myself. In general, I think the best professional decision I have made was even before I started working for Soloplan, when I decided to go into software developing.

What advice can you give to newcomers?
In my professional career, I have noticed that it is always helpful to critically reflect about yourself and your work and to continuously redefine your goals and not stay on one level of knowledge. Additionally, I believe that it is important to always evolve–both professionally and personally. Internal communication is also very important. Overall, I value a cooperative and conscientious interaction with colleagues.