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Two passions that he has combined: Uwe Möller’s Harley Davidson with engraved GEA logo.

Here we present Uwe Möller, our new Director of Ideas and Improvement Management, who is convinced that “We can get even more expert knowledge out of GEA Refrigeration Technologies!”

During Uwe Möller’s tenure as the Idea Manager at the former A Division, this division within nine months moved from last place to third. Together with his colleagues Tim Ovelgönne and Lea Ortmeier he helped GEA HX to move directly to second place. Who is this man, who has constantly transformed himself within GEA for more than 25 years now, and who exudes so much energy?

Uwe Möller is also very busy outside his work with idea and improvement management. As member and co-founder of the music band GEA Allstars, he took part in their concerts from 2005 to 2008 and in production of their CDs. Besides music, his passion also applies to US culture. His beloved Fender & Martin guitars and his Harley Davidson are only two of his many useful collector’s items.

Since January 1st, 2011, Uwe Möller has been the new Director of Ideas and Improvement Management at GEA Refrigeration Technologies. But he’s really not so new at GEA: for 23 years he was state-certified Technician, Electrician and Refrigeration Systems Builder, at the R&D Department of GEA Happel Klimatechnik (now the HVAC Business Unit of GEA HX). At the age of 51, though, Uwe Möller stepped up to a completely new challenge and became the Idea Manager of the A Division. In addition to special seminars and ongoing training in the field of idea and improvement management, Uwe’s further qualification also included becoming a PitStop Trainer (Problem Finding, Structuring, and Solving in Teams), and winning the Kaizen Green Belt at the former GEA Kaizen Support Office (Note: in Japanese, “Kaizen” means “optimization,” or the opportunity for improvement). This training motivated Uwe Möller to address the topic of continuous improvement processes by systematically integrating colleagues into this process. As Möller elaborates:

“Our GEA Idea Management also plays a major role in the continuous improvement process. Every implemented idea and each workshop point out deficiencies, show possible savings, capitalize on opportunities better, and at the end of the day enhance our abilities to perform and to compete. And i²m not only puts the experience of our colleagues and experts to work, but also promotes an open corporate structure – and thereby strengthens colleague identification with GEA and with company spirit. And I must emphasize here that recognition and appreciation of our colleagues is always associated with all these efforts.”

The man – Uwe Möller – who moved the former A Division from last place to third in idea and improvement management, within only nine months, intends to put this energy to work for GEA Refrigeration Technologies in the same manner. During 2008, Möller succeeded in raising the idea quote in the A Division from 10 to 40 percent (in 2009, it even continued to rise, to 55 percent) – with an implementation quota of 70 percent. Together with his colleagues Tim Ovelgönne and Lea Ortmeier, Uwe helped to move the GEA Heat Exchangers Segment (founded in 2010) to move directly to second place.

How did he manage to do all that? “With realtionship management,” he answers with conviction. “It is critical to listen to our colleagues and to management, and to relate effectively to such different people – and to motivate them and spread the enthusiasm for the topic of idea management. Nothing great has ever been achieved without creating enthusiasm for it.” All of this of course can only work if the Idea Manager himself or herself is also personally enthusiastic. And Uwe Möller is just such an enthusiastic person: that is immediately apparent when speaking to him. And he wants to approach i²m as such a person.

He confirms, “My predecessor Suyin Roest and also Gerd Heinrichs from GEA Refrigeration Technologies IT did wonderful work last year. The conditions for our success had been provided by the previous relaunch, and moved the idea quota well upward. Now, we want to keep the active i²m users on board, and to get those employees onboard who have been reluctant until now. We must never forget that the true experts for certain topics of work are those colleagues of ours who come into direct contact with them. We need their expert knowledge so that we can improve.”

During his time at GEA HX, Uwe Möller recorded a music video with his colleague Aaron Vokoun, with a title that fits idea management perfectly: “Don’t worry. Keep thinking.”

GEA Refrigeration Technologies will have to climb this year if we want to get to the top. Uwe Möller looks at it positively:

“GEA Refrigeration Technologies is still the taillight, but that will change. I’m looking forward to this work. We can do a lot and change a lot here. Let’s dig in!”

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