UEFA 026 - Zimmermann

Dave was so nice and caring that he looked for me in my hotel room the night of his arrival. We had dinner in the Heerbruggerhof restaurant and chit chat of his first experience in Switzerland.

Next morning we had breakfast together and then walked together to the factory. In the evening I did not see him. He told me later, that his instructor brought him to see his house. They had dinner there.

There were quite many evenings that he was out with the German and Austrian instructors. It was perhaps due to his nice and friendly character.

I was also out in 2 evenings with my own circle of contacts. The first one was with Mr Zimmermann. He was the Regional Sales Director for the Far East, encompassing Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Korea and Japan.

He had been to Singapore several times promoting the sales strategy of Leica Instruments and participating in trade Expo. During those visits we used to talk, as my sales manager brought me along to lunch and dinner with him.

Mr Zimmermann was a very professional executive. He was about 35 and looked more like an actor than a Sales Director. He was an ardent football fan, but I do not remember which club.

The first instance he sat with me during lunch at Leica's canteen,then he call for coffee and introduced me to some of his friendsin Leica. We chat for quite some time.

This is not picture of the canteen, but, just to show that Zimmerman was here in Singapore to help promote our sales strategy during the Expo.

In another instance, Zimmermann invited me for a luxurious dinner at a cozy village restaurant nearby Heerbrugg. After that, he brought me to a club It was near to Austrian border and it was a quiet village pub. He must have been a regular as many people there knew him.

There was no music, but, only the humming of whispers. They chat in low voices. There were no shouts and no shrieking sound. It was so much different from our pubs in Geylang area in Singapore.

This picture above showed the response at our Expo in 1996 where Leica had a bridge in the Expo to depict its philosophy as project partner.

I was always involve in the many Expos Leica had in Singapore.

Zimmermann was comfortable chatting with me that night, though I only had coke. He asked for my comments about the hotel and training.

I took that opportunity to mention about my bad experience with the Mr Jungker, the training instructor and Mr Mueller, my Division Manager in Singapore.

He replied that, it will slowly change, as Leica is also changing its global sales approach.
They are adopting and paving a friendlier approach to users, customers, agents, representatives and competitors. Likewise, the factory environment was also changing towards the same direction.

Thus the proud leader of surveying instruments was turning into a helpful project partner.

As Leica was changing I was changing too. Maggie Lim said in the Gold Breakfast Show, just the other morning, that changes come into a person during his/her midlife crisis. I am not sure if I was going thru that. But I had other reasons than just midlife crisis.

It was related to GOD. During that time my spiritual situation was stirred-up with some philosophical attitude and human relation. I was upset that GOD did not fix things with flying colours in my life.

I was asking why did HE left me neglected and unattentended by almost everyone, when HE knows exactly that I cannot withstand such pressure. That was the time I always tell people that I went thru some kind of a depression. I was depressed thinking of my unreligious behaviour towards GOD.

Have you seen this guy before? Guess who? Sorry no offer for recognising and finding him.

=+=+=+=+=+=+ to be continued =+=+=+=+=+=+

395 words

Drafted on 07.04.2007

Edited on 03.05.2007 at 0039hrs

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