On the path to truly global: How international assignments help us grow at Jungheinrich

Global expansion is a key focus area of our Strategy 2030+. We have a clear goal: to continue growing internationally and position ourselves as a Truly Global Partner. This requires more than just a presence in new markets. It requires people who understand international contexts, embrace diverse perspectives, and actively foster collaboration across national borders.

Through initiatives like Going Global, we specifically create opportunities for this. As part of the program, employees work temporarily in other countries, support local teams, and gain new perspectives that they bring to their work in the long term. Through these international assignments, they develop competencies rooted in our internal values—the Yellow Way: open-mindedness, proactive action, and mutual respect, regardless of location. These are skills that are crucial for an internationally successful company.

The experiences of former participants demonstrate that these benefits are real: concrete, personal, and with a lasting impact on their daily work.

Four months in Milan – new perspectives on daily work

For Michael Kurz, his Going Global assignment took him to Milan to work at Jungheinrich Italiana. For four months, he collaborated on specific projects with his colleagues there. The international assignment broadened his perspective—giving him a deeper understanding of the needs of the local subsidiaries and how decisions made at headquarters are received there. This perspective is now an integral part of his daily work.

“What remains after four months of work at Jungheinrich Italiana? Certainly the new network of colleagues, the project results, my own learning curve during the project, my love for Italian gelato, and a few phrases in Italian. But what remains above all is the question I’ve been asking my team here at headquarters much more frequently since my time abroad: If we do it this way now, how will our colleagues in the sales units benefit from it?”

 

Connections across continents

Marlina von Schönfeld also found her Going Global assignment to be a formative experience. She spent some time working in Adelaide, Australia—geographically far away, yet culturally closer than she had expected. Interacting with local colleagues, working in a different market environment, and tackling challenges together have had a lasting impact on her understanding of global collaboration.

“Looking back, I am incredibly grateful! My Going Global program has shown me that, as a family business, we share a strong sense of belonging and mutual care, no matter where in the world we are. This experience has also given me deeper insight into the unique dynamics and challenges of international subsidiaries. It has reminded me once again how important it is to stay connected, support one another, and embrace different perspectives in order to achieve success even beyond national borders.”