Was does a General Manager actually do?

CREMER Magazine: How long have you been working at CREMER and what exactly do you do?

Damian Krueger: I am with the company since 2005. Now I'm working as General Manager of CREMER Nutrition in Singapore within the ‘New Ventures and M&A’ team. We are building global production capacities for our new pillar: plant-based proteins. Our activities include the production of semi and finished plant-based products, the distribution of pea protein and starch and strategic investments in innovative companies. 

We are building global contract manufacturing capacities to fill the supply gap when the population rises to 10 billion by 2050 and we won’t have sufficient space to house and feed all the animals before we consume them as a protein source.

In order to remain relevant 3o years down the line, we need to start producing meatless products which taste, feel, smell and cook like meat; but directly from plants like pea or soy - made by novel technology.

I still enjoy eating meat twice a week and as a company, it’s important to us that the meat business continues to grow and remains relevant.

However, as consumer habits are changing, we need to be prepared and well-positioned to cater to both carnivores as well as flexitarians like me.

CREMER Magazine: You are working in Singapore. Before that, you have been in Shanghai for over a decade. What were your steps on the way there?

Damian Krueger: Just like some of our trainees in Hamburg I did a dual apprenticeship training. I was sent to Shanghai during the three-year traineeship and spend my summer “vacation” in the Shanghai office of my past employer.

I fell in love with the speed and energy of Asia and expatriated as a young man without a single grey hair. I worked myself up from Product Manager to General Manager for another Hamburg headquartered company before CREMER approached me to build up an office for them in Shanghai, which I did.

Next to the office in Shanghai, I was instrumental in building up the production in Wuxi. Now the team is building another production plant for plant-based proteins in the North of China which will start production before the end of the year.

Back in 2020 the pandemic started. It was Chinese New Year (in February 2020) and we just wanted to relax at home for two weeks, but provinces got shut down by the local government overnight, schools announced closings – and we started to become afraid that the country will eventually shut down with time and we will be “stuck in China" without an opportunity to get out. Back in February 2020, that was, of course, unheard of, but later it proved right and most of us are still stuck in the country we are based in now.

Anyway, long story short, we packed our suitcases and flew to Singapore. It turned out the virus was not just another China pandemic but it still keeps the world engaged today. As we never made it back to Shanghai, our lives changed overnight and we found ourselves living in a different apartment in another country with new colleagues and a new business.

If you are resilient, adaptable, and open to new opportunities you will appreciate that there will always be space to learn and grow into new ventures.

CREMER Magazine: Why did you decide for CREMER?

Damian Krueger: It was due to a former Advisory Board member, Mr. Hinrich Stechmann, whom I respect and trust a lot. Plus of course, the convincing 15+ CREMER colleagues whom I got to know during the interview process and frankly, I also liked the office. It looked solid, stable, and very hanseatic.

As often in life, it was the combination that made the difference.

CREMER Magazine: What part of the job do you like the most?

Damian Krueger: The past job in China was amazing because I could dive from STEEL into AGRI to OLEO trading into Wuxi production meetings – all in one day. It gave me a solid foundation to understand the different businesses and their particulars.

However, the current job is my dream job. I love every stressful moment in building up a global food production business with a phenomenal and extremely talented team and super exciting clients. I love every minute of the day and night. That much that I even scheduled a 02:30am meeting with a US-based multinational this coming Tuesday. That’s a bit crazy, but we only live once.

CREMER Magazine: How are you involved in your team?

Damian Krueger: It is important to realize that the world does not stop for you, hence, it is crucial to learn to adapt to changes constantly and to communicate effectively within the team.

We are like the A-Team: small, but effective, universal and globally deployable.

CREMER Magazine: What advice would you give to a young professional?

Damian Krueger: Technology will become more relevant than ever. Always be prepared and be relevant. Think outside the box and think a few steps ahead. Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded.