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Virginia Esly
On January 2, 2023, Virginia Esly was appointed to the Management Board as Chief Operating Officer Europe (COO Europe) for Messer’s European business. She was the first woman to serve on the Management Board in the history of the world’s largest privately held specialist for industrial gases and has more than twenty years of experience in the industrial gases sector.
How would you describe your first hundred days as a member of the Management Board of Messer?
Motivating. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know our employees, customers and facilities in more than 15 European countries. I am highly impressed by the professionalism and entrepreneurial spirit of our teams, who focus on the customer with tremendous positive energy and tireless dedication, every day. And what I especially like is the close-knit and appreciative interaction among colleagues, which is also reflected in the long years of company service that so many of our employees have accumulated. Working together with my teams, I am proud to be driving forward the growth of our European business as part of the global “Messer family.”
As COO Europe, what tasks are you focusing on?
Growth is a key topic for me – I will put all my energy into supporting the national subsidiaries so that they continue to grow together with our customers across Europe and also gain new customers for Messer. I also feel very strongly about innovation and digitalization – using this to encourage an eagerness for innovative solutions and products and also to simplify internal processes. As the Messer Team in Europe, we want to leverage even better use of our strengths across national borders, thereby making us an even stronger partner for our customers.
Which famous person would you like to spend an evening with?
Despite it being unfortunately no longer possible, with Nelson Mandela. He was a greatly inspiring personality. First of all, he stood up for his convictions against all resistance and demonstrated amazing resilience, even in difficult times, during the more than 20 years he spent in prison. More than that, he successfully united people – bringing them together across racial, tribal, national and generational barriers. And he accomplished all this with positive charisma and integrity and without scandal.
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These gases actually accompany us as “invisible helpers” every day, and for me, that’s the greatest and most exciting part.
What has been your best “gases experience” so far?
I always find it very enlightening whenever I have the chance to go to one of our competence centers. I get excited every time I see just how many different industries use our gases and applications in support of the customers’ processes. These gases actually accompany us as “invisible helpers” every day, and for me, that’s the greatest and most exciting part.
What would you still like to learn in your life?
Animal welfare and the protection of endangered species are extremely important to me, and I feel that these issues still do not get enough attention. For that reason, I would really like to visit and observe some critically endangered animal species in their natural habitat, such as polar bears or tigers.