WHO?

The management duo – two people who complement each other perfectly

TIMO WITTMANN

Managing Partner

Would you like to meet Timo Wittmann? Then please don’t go to the TRANS AURIGA headquarters by any means. You’re better off going to an airport. Atlanta. Beijing. Rio. Anywhere in the world really. Your chances would be better there. Because Timo is the salesman in the TA management duo. Always on the move, looking after customers, acquiring projects and visiting trade fairs.

But Timo does have other qualities too. Numbers are his metier, his will often moves entire container ships – and nobody kills the Excel files set up so pedantically by his colleague Pisall quite as skilfully as he does. But he is never angry with him about it for long because Timo always creates a good mood in the office with his positive streak.

And what does the professional globetrotter do in his spare time? Travel, of course. Timo is happiest travelling around the USA with his wife and two children. And when he is given a proper barbecue and fine wine in his beloved Southern States, then this restless man might actually sit down for a while. For a couple of hours, anyway.

TOBIAS PISALL

Managing Partner

If Tobias Pisall was a character in a Quentin Tarantino film then he would play the problem solver. It is his prime role. At least there hasn’t been a single dilemma so far that he couldn’t find a way out of. His logistical creativity knows no bounds, he boldly navigates around every obstacle.

Tobias is also the captain on board the TRANS AURIGA. And he makes sure that everything runs without a hitch, not only on the bridge but also in the engine room. His duties include project conceptualisation and operational handling as well as administration. Which means that his job suits his pedantic tendencies wonderfully.

Privately, Tobias is a connoisseur. A beautiful day with his wife and children and/or a glass of 2014 Hipperia Red Blend can make him a happy man. He is not quite so choosy when it comes to his favourite football club. But Borussia Mönchengladbach has to have its fans too. He can experience success when he is solving logistical problems, after all.

The TA-Team – full range professionals

ANDREAS WESCHENFELDER

We have a confession to make: Andreas Weschenfelder comes from the Baden region, with which we still maintain a humorous rivalry to this day. So now everyone knows. But that is the only item on his list of shortcomings. And his strengths? That list is a bit longer. The top three: a vast amount of expertise in sea and airfreight, a huge workload – and impressive patience when it comes to tolerating silly jokes. As we already mentioned, Andreas does come Baden…

But he has also coined his own phrase: “Just one more file”. Whether it’s 6 o’clock in the morning, 10 o’clock at night or in the middle of a thunderstorm on a campsite. He always keeps the flywheel going at TRANS AURIGA – and makes a congenial duo with Heiko when it comes to communication.

And if he does occasionally leave the files for a while? Then Andreas only has one thing in his head – apart from his wife and his two daughters: his passion for amateur football. He is on the board of FC Karlsdorf and is a fan of 1. FC Nuremberg. (Yes, that was mean.) To keep it short: He comes from Baden, works in Swabia and is a fan of Franconian football. Some things are almost unimaginable. But Andreas makes them a possibility.

FOOKE BECKER 

Nordic by Nature, or in other words: Fooke Becker. This Hamburger is a northern boy. Having been born in the Hanseatic city, his connection to the sea is of course inevitable. Combined with his passion for logistics, there could only be one job for him: sea freight expert. And where better to pursue this than at TRANS AURIGA?!

Fooke’s career is more like a sailing voyage with a clear destination than the odyssey of Christopher Columbus. Following his vocational training to become a wholesale and export clerk and a bachelor’s degree in logistics, he set sail for the shipping industry. And the hardest test? He stood firm under the critical eyes of Timo and Tobias, although the two of them did have a handicap as they had already worked with him at another company. So the course was already set for TRANS AURIGA early on.

Fooke also remains faithful to the sea outside of work. Sailing and rowing are high on the agenda in his free time, preferably with his family. His perfect way to end the day is with a cocktail and a steak. So what is his big dream? To have his own herd of Galloways one day. Presumably he whispers into his wife’s ear before Christmas: Please can I have some cattle, darling?

HEIKO POLLICH

The service gene is a valuable and rare thing. Heiko Pollich has it for sure. With a sympathetic ear, a broad smile and a good mood that is more catching than the flu, he listens attentively to each and every one of his customers. Expertly using his communication skills, he always finds the perfect solution based on detailed analysis. You will never hear him say “that’s impossible”.

Having trained as a shipping clerk and being crowned as a qualified transport manager, Heiko discovers that he has two more rare genes: the sea freight gene and the air freight gene. They allow him to work for forwarding agents, later manage a branch himself and ensure he ends up at TRANS AURIGA. His realm here is called “Operations”: he looks after the entire process, taking care of the booking as well as invoicing and while doing so, he also makes sure that everyone is happy and fully satisfied.

And how does the professional perfectionist with the permanent smile relax? Together with his wife he likes to hike and to listen to the sound of the sea. Apart from that, he also looks after their dog with total devotion. And Heiko is a passionate biker. His smile gets even broader when he is conquering the winding roads at lightning speed.

IRMGARD DOODS

With the arrival of Irmgard Doods, the team at TRANS AURIGA can finally have their cake and eat it! Not just because she is a qualified pastry chef, but also because she takes the burden off the team’s shoulders with her open nature. As an inconspicuous steward, she takes care of all those tasks that are often overlooked – yet are so important.

What is never overlooked is Irmgard’s drive. First as a pastry chef and now, following a sideways move, as an office manager specialising in logistics with us. What was the reason for this change? Instead of routine and tedium, she wanted a new challenge. She is in absolutely the right place at TRANS AURIGA, because we can guarantee it will never be boring here. She just has to get used to two things: the boys’ beloved TA socks and the coffee, which her colleagues drink black – how boring!

Irmgard is happy for things to be a bit calmer in her free time, although that is a matter of interpretation when it comes to riding a motorbike. But at least it’s quiet when she’s hiking or flying model aeroplanes. And when she really wants to be isolated, she climbs even higher – and goes skydiving. She certainly doesn’t want to get bored with all that peace and quiet.

JANA SEIDEL

Her work style? That’s a bit up in the air! But only because Jana Seidel is a true expert in airfreight exports. Apart from that, she has both feet firmly on the ground: she trained to become a forwarding and logistics specialist, gained insights into every area of logistics and then picked out the most exciting one. She took the exact same route with employers – and of course landed at TRANS AURIGA.

For Jana, the appeal of airfreight is the momentum and fast pace. Sending something from Germany to the USA, then transporting something else to China. The main thing is that the goods land as quickly as possible where they are needed. No wonder she caught the attention of the bosses at TRANS AURIGA. They only had one choice: to export her from her employer as quickly as possible and import her into their own team.

At least after work, Jana doesn’t necessarily have to be a globetrotter. Instead, she is keen on sports: Zumba and skiing are high on her list. But it doesn’t actually have to be so fast paced all of the time. Then she will while away the evening, relaxing with friends over a glass of good white wine.

KARSTEN KAYA

If TRANS AURIGA were an American TV series about lawyers, Karsten Kaya would quite clearly be Donna Paulsen from “Suits”. At first sight: a charming “general dogsbody”. But take a closer look and you will see a problem solver, team player and the big bosses’ vital link. TRANS AURIGA without Karsten? Absolute chaos. He holds everything and everyone together.

His professional career is also fit for the silver screen. Having trained as a shipping clerk, he then adds a transport management qualification and works for the competition. At some point, the TRANS AURIGA bosses find it all a bit much. They can only see one solution: head hunt! Successfully. His organisational talent, charming aura and knack for sales make it easy to ignore his strictly pursued credo of “just in time”.

You can’t please everyone. But you can offer them a cocktail. At least, that’s what Karsten thinks. The keen bartender will skilfully shake up a Mojito, Painkiller or Swimming Pool. If there is no event around the corner, Karsten will turn his full attention to music. The keen traveller is very happy to sit in a deckchair on a beach somewhere, sipping a drink that he has magicked up himself, with the right sounds in his ears.

MARKUS STROTMANN

Are you looking for someone for those big things in life? Then Markus Strotmann is your man. The former lorry driver who used to be a commercial manager does not think there is “anything extraordinary” about himself. Which is a classic case of understatement. Nobody can fool him when it comes to heavy haulage or abnormal loads.

You could say that this man can and does do everything. Costings, organisation, checking routes: this is everyday life for Markus. Calculations, requirements, licences: everything lands on his desk awaiting his approval. He has a talent for mathematics, communication and commerce that allows him to think outside the box. He has a keen eye, coupled with an extraordinary power of deduction, so nothing escapes him. So Markus sees what others fail to notice.

And outside of work? A real minimalist. Markus does not need much to make him happy. A pair of sturdy shoes and a beautiful walking trail: sorted. A smooth alley, a controlled swing and nine skittles knocked over: endorphins are released. A short holiday or quality time with good neighbours: the feel-good factor rises. Minimum effort for maximum success: a true logistics expert.

SVEN AUST 

It might be a banal saying, but it’s true: You always meet twice. Luckily! Because the second time Sven Aust met Markus Strotmann it led him to TRANS AURIGA. Markus didn’t even need to take a second look to recognise Sven’s skills. Markus already brought Sven in when he was at his last employer. And now he has persuaded him to the join logistics paradise as a colleague. At TRANS AURIGA.

Logistics has long been Sven’s line of work. And it was love at first sight! The qualified freight forwarding specialist has been working in the industry for a good twenty years. He has used this time extremely well and become an expert in intra-European overland transport. He is also an expert in global parties – but only in relation to their organisation, of course. Which is why Sven also looks after our special customers in the events sector.

At TRANS AURIGA Sven is also responsible for extraordinary things after hours. So what is the computer expert’s favourite hobby? Online gaming. And if it wasn‘t already apparent: Sven can also take it easy. Then he’ll take his motorbike for a spin or enjoy some free time with his wife and two children.