2. How did you end up in the maritime sector?

I grew up in Stralsund and have been connected to the sea and many things maritime from an early age. My father had been a seafarer when he was a young man, my mother was trained as a draughtsperson for ship construction and my class at school was part of a partnership with a shipyard and, therefore, we were often invited and shown how ships are planned and constructed. My first real job as a pupil was serving coffee and sausages on a ship of the "White Fleet" traveling between Stralsund and the island Hiddensee.

In my early twenties, I spontaneously felt the urge to try out the great world of seafaring. I hitchhiked to Hamburg, roamed through the telephone directory for contacts and called up people pretty aimlessly. If it had worked, I would have headed out to sea in whatever capacity was offered. However, I was given the advice to go through proper training and contact Hamburg Süd to this regard. And, that is exactly what I did, and only a few days later I started my training as ship's mechanic on Priwall. I am still ever so grateful for this pointer.