"If you do what you do with joy and passion, success will come at some point"

Is it the right course of study in the right city? Many first-year students ask themselves this question, including the "newies" who came to the Walter Witzenmann Audimax lecture hall at Pforzheim University on September 15, 2025. As part of their introductory weeks before the official start of lectures, the program included a lecture entitled "VIA Impulse", which was intended to give the new students of the German-language Bachelor's degree courses at Pforzheim Business School an insight into the studies and career path of a successful alumnus. Thomas Faller, who graduated in 1992 with a degree in business administration with a focus on procurement and logistics, recalled his own start to his studies in 1988: "The Audimax of today didn't exist yet, but the spirit and the excitement were the same.” He said that at the beginning of a degree course you did not know exactly what you were getting yourself into. It was important to deal with doubts in a positive way and to see studying as a journey that required curiosity, courage, and perseverance.

International character at the heart of his studies 
Thomas Faller took the first-year students on his own "study journey", which he definitely wanted to make international due to his family background. The first stop of his studies was therefore the University of Heidelberg, where he learned English and Spanish. Faller then went on to study business administration in Pforzheim, specializing in procurement and logistics, because it gave him an intercultural orientation: semesters abroad and internships in Spain, Great Britain and the USA were part of his studies.

Professional milestones at multinational companies
With his diploma from Pforzheim in his pocket, Thomas Faller began his professional career as part of a trainee program at the ABB Group, which included a nine-month stay in the Philippines. He then held various positions in Global Procurement at ABB in Switzerland and Germany. His "professional journey" took Faller on to ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG in Düsseldorf as Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) for the Elevator segment and finally to Munich Re in Munich, where he was able to build up global procurement. As Head of Division Central Procurement, Thomas Faller manages the global procurement division, which consists of the three "towers" Sourcing, Procurement Excellence, Third Party Management Function and the regions Asia Pacific, Americas and Europe. One focus of his work is to drive forward the digitalization of processes and the resilience of the supply chain. At Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurer, he expected a culture characterized by the financial industry, whereas he had previously worked in a manufacturing environment. However, one element continued to be a common thread in his CV and documents his constant desire for internationality: working for multinational companies. Today, Faller uses his professional background in the management of complex procurement processes to purchase services from various categories such as IT, professional services and data & online services.

Teamwork and self-reflection as career building blocks 
What makes good leadership? Together with the first-year students, Faller drew a comparison with team sports: taking responsibility as captain, building trust and using and motivating your teammates in the right way - these are all core elements of successful teamwork in sport as well as at work. "We are only a good team if we have good players and good employees," emphasized Thomas Faller. As a leader, qualities such as perseverance, the ability to deal with conflict and a willingness to learn were essential. "Working on weaknesses is important, but strengthening strengths is even more important," he explained. 
Visions and goals were what made a successful leader. In order to approach a career in a planned manner, a careful self-analysis was the basis for becoming aware of one's strengths: In which direction do you want to go? What skills are required for the career path? Thomas Faller particularly encouraged the first-year students to gain valuable practical experience and advised them to complete many internships. These could become a unique selling point in professional life and, like a well-established network, a decisive factor in applications. "If you enjoy what you do and are passionate about it, success will come at some point," said Faller. He himself payed particular attention to an applicant's personality when recruiting, which was particularly important alongside professional expertise, the ability to work in a team and international orientation.

Gain experience and get to know cultures 
"You understand white, black and gray and turn your life into an adventure" - this is how Thomas Faller advised first-year students to identify the right career path for them based on their strengths - professional, practical or character-related. When choosing a semester or internship abroad, for example, the decision criterion he would focus on was not just the content, but rather the personal connection to a country, the joy of working with the people there: "Choose the country that attracts you the most." In order to turn plans into reality, building up contacts was often helpful. Faller was able to realize his internship abroad in the USA himself through his working student activity at the company's German site. "Networks will also be important in the future," he predicted. In this context, he pointed out the "wealth of relationships" that studying brought with it, for example through fellow students or study groups. He himself had traveled a lot and met interesting people as a result. The stays abroad had also contributed to self-reflection: becoming aware of one's cultural background and recognizing its strengths helped to identify personal strengths. "Every culture has a lot to offer," said Faller. 
Returning to the question posed at the beginning, "Is it the right degree course in the right city?", Thomas Faller advised people to persevere when doubts arise and to give themselves time and peace of mind: "You will always learn something, even if it's not easy at the beginning."