Hamburg, 17 December 2020. At the end of this year, an era will come to an end at Gebr. Heinemann: after more than four successful decades Kay Spanger (62) will close the chapter of his professional life, which he began in 1979 as an apprentice at the Hamburg trading company. His successor, Dr Dirk Schneider, took over the position of Chief Commercial Officer from him on 1 September 2020. Kay Spanger will continue to support the company in an advisory capacity until the end of December before retiring.

“With Kay Spanger we bid farewell to a real symbolic figure. He has shaped our company and the entire travel retail industry with his passion and enthusiasm like few others in this long period of time,” says Max Heinemann, CEO of Gebr. Heinemann and representative of the fifth generation of owners.

Kay Spanger knows every facet of the company

Kay Spanger has dedicated more than four decades, or almost 15,000 days, to Gebr. Heinemann with heart and soul and has helped shape the company and its position in the market. He began his apprenticeship at Gebr. Heinemann on 1 September 1979 and has remained loyal to the company ever since. For more than 20 years he has been responsible for the purchasing and logistics departments, and in the time before that he had worked in almost all other areas of the company. After his apprenticeship, for example, he initially worked in sales to the customers in the ferry industry, providing ship suppliers and shipping companies with Duty Free articles for the very successful so-called “booze cruises”. Kay Spanger then moved on to the purchasing department for perfume and cosmetics and played a major role in establishing this then still quite new category for the company. Around this time, Kay Spanger brought his brother Raoul into the family business, who is still responsible for sales at Gebr. Heinemann as Chief Operating Officer today.

A working life dedicated to Gebr. Heinemann

“Kay Spanger is a doer and achiever who has always pursued his profession with a lot of zest. For him his job is his passion. As a buyer at Gebr. Heinemann, you have to have a high affinity for our products – and Kay Spanger has always been enthusiastic about every single article in our range,” says co-owner Claus Heinemann. His cousin, co-owner Gunnar Heinemann, agrees: “Above all, he is a 'Heinemann' with all his heart. If there is one person who embodies our company value 'We persevere' in a special way, it is Kay Spanger. On behalf of the entire owner family and the executive board, we would like to thank him for a great cooperation based on trust and his outstanding contribution to our business.”

More time for his family, friends, dogs and environmental projects

“The support of the owners as well as my colleagues from the executive board and all Heinemann employees worldwide has enabled me to accompany this firm up to this point. What I really appreciate is the freedom that has always been given to me in every respect and the trust that has been placed in me. I would like to personally tell my brother Raoul how proud I am that we have worked together for such a long time for the benefit of the company,” says Kay Spanger. “A special thank you also goes to our suppliers, who are representing the most beautiful brands in the world. The mutual trust and openness during our cooperation are the foundation of the success we have achieved together.”

After more than 40 years at Gebr. Heinemann and close cooperation with three generations of owners, Kay Spanger is now entering a new phase which he looks forward to with great anticipation. First of all, he is planning to spend much more time with his family, friends and dogs. He has also been involved for years in a husky farm in Norway, where he supports the training of the sled dogs, as well as in some environmental projects such as “Clean up Svalbard”. The retired manager wants to intensify both of these activities.

Kay Spanger also remains loyal to the perfume industry and will continue to serve on the supervisory boards of two perfume distributors in Germany and Scandinavia, where he will contribute his experience.

Handover to Dr Dirk Schneider

At Gebr. Heinemann, Kay Spanger has already smoothly passed the baton to Dr Dirk Schneider. The fact that he was able to support his successor during the last four months of this difficult year has made the transition easier for both of them after such a decisive period. While one is now looking back on more than four decades of success, the other is ready to set new goals.

“I am very pleased that in Dirk Schneider we have found someone who fits in so well with Gebr. Heinemann. His experience with data-driven and digitalised processes in purchasing and logistics will help the company to continue on the path it has already embarked on towards the future. Because now it is imperative to look ahead, to a time with and after the corona pandemic, to coming decades which will be characterised by digitalisation and challenges in climate protection. But one thing will always remain the same at Gebr. Heinemann: Our partnership and respectful cooperation with our colleagues, partners and suppliers. Only together can we master the current difficult global economic situation and continue to shape the travel market successfully in the coming years,” concludes Kay Spanger.

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