Inquired
Angela Josephs, long-time company spokesperson for Phoenix Contact, on the role and importance of Ursula Lampmann for Phoenix Contact.
UPDATE: Mrs. Josephs, when and how did you meet Ursula Lampmann?
That was in the context of my hiring in the summer of 1989. I had my interview with her. At that time, she was also responsible for personnel, among other things. A very friendly and attentive person, but one also had respect for her right away.
UPDATE: Tell us a little bit about her charm? How should we imagine Ursula Lampmann as a person?
She was a very charismatic, very pointed and disciplined personality. She was quite a strict boss, but could also be very approachable, generous and cheerful.
UPDATE: What topics were close to Ursula Lampmann’s heart?
She was always 100 percent there for Phoenix Contact. In her private life, she greatly appreciated art and culture, and at the same time was a true child of the Ruhr region. Ursula Lampmann attached great importance to things like politeness, tone, friendliness and level. In this very engineering- and male-dominated company, this shaped a special form of togetherness, the corporate culture itself. This continued and still continues today, right down to the furnishings of the workplaces and business premises.
UPDATE: What defined her role within the company?
When there were heated discussions between the Eisert brothers, she was able to mediate and sometimes put an end to a matter by putting her foot down. And she always kept a sharp eye on liquidity. Liquidity before growth – that’s how we were and have remained financially independent. Mrs. Lampmann calculated the prices by hand in her room. At that time, there was no controlling, no cost accounting. The calculation was in her hands. She was the controlling hand in the background, who also skillfully kept the investment appetite of the technology-enthusiastic company bosses in check.
UPDATE: Ursula Lampmann held a key position at Phoenix Contact for six decades. She never had a true successor. What is her legacy? Where can she still be felt today?
After her departure, the company became so large that a modern setup was necessary. So there could not be a successor in the direct sense.
In addition to the iron-clad imperative of liquidity, she had a decisive influence on the corporate culture. Respect, courtesy and humanity, from the worker at the machine to the shareholder in their dealings with each other – in my view, that is Ursula Lampmann’s legacy.
