“I’m still learning something new every day”

Anyone visiting Lukas Burkhardt in his office at Vetropack’s headquarters in Bülach may initially be surprised by how calm and, at times, relaxed the new CEO seems as he talks about his first months in the role. After just a few months, he already seems to have settled fully into his new role. He repeatedly emphasises that the team has been a key factor in this. “I already feel very much at home here, and that’s certainly also down to the staff, who have made my transition easier in so many ways. It’s precisely in situations like this that having the right team makes all the difference.” 

Terms such as ‘teamwork’ and ‘collaboration’ come up frequently in conversation. They say a great deal about the new CEO’s understanding of leadership. Burkhardt does not see himself as a traditional executive who runs a company solely from the top down. “Of course, it’s about taking on the leadership role and making decisions,” he says. “But the success of an international company like Vetropack is, above all, the result of a strong team performance.” He therefore sees his most important task as organising and developing this collaboration and creating the right framework conditions for it. Not only, but particularly in these dynamic times, it is important to empower staff to act in an entrepreneurial manner. 

Close to people and markets 

Burkhardt deliberately used his first few months to get to know the company in depth. He travelled extensively, visited sites, spoke to staff and, above all, listened. “I asked a lot of questions and tried to gain a better understanding of what matters to people here and what is currently on their minds.” The production plants and sales offices, in particular, are often close to the market and customers. That is where the crucial knowledge lies – much of it in the minds of the staff. “I have lots of conversations and am still learning something new every day,” says Burkhardt. At the head office in Bülach, too, he makes a point of seeking direct contact. Whenever possible, he eats in the canteen. The door to his office is open – except during meetings. For him, this is more than just a symbolic gesture. “I want to be approachable,” he says. 

What particularly impressed him during his first few months was the enormous expertise within the company – the in-depth knowledge of the market and products, but also the enthusiasm many employees have for glass. Quite a few families are already working at Vetropack in their second or third generation. “For them, glass really is part of their family DNA,” says Burkhardt. “You don’t find this genuine passion for the product in every industry.” 

Success is all about teamwork

Burkhardt, incidentally, shares this enthusiasm for glass. For him, it is not only one of the oldest but also one of the most future-proof packaging materials of all: safe, preserving flavour, sustainable, and at the same time high-quality and a powerful branding asset. In the field of design in particular, Vetropack offers a wide range of colours and shapes for glass packaging, opening up attractive opportunities for customers to position their brands. “We need to build on these strengths in design even further.” 

Burkhardt is a family man; he doesn’t drive a car in his private life and travels from Zurich to Bülach every morning by train or bicycle. He wants to do something that also has a social impact – and he believes this is particularly possible in the packaging sector: “That’s another reason why I’m certain that glass is the future.” 

This makes flexibility and the ability to respond quickly to change all the more important. In this context, Burkhardt also refers to Vetropack’s experiences in Ukraine. “The plant there would probably be closed today had the staff, site management and group management not worked so closely together and believed in the future of the site,” he says. “Their commitment was impressive.” The result: two out of three furnaces are back in operation. 

Growth through understanding

“That is the mindset that sets Vetropack apart. And it is what we need right now,” emphasises Burkhardt. “Taking responsibility, standing together and looking ahead despite difficult conditions.” This also applies to customers: Vetropack has many customer relationships in its core markets that have developed over decades, forming an important part of the company’s success story.  

Nevertheless, Burkhardt sees further potential here. For him, two factors in particular will be decisive for the further development of the business: an even stronger customer focus and the ability to bring innovative solutions to market more quickly. When it comes to innovation, Vetropack is already well positioned. With Rezon, the thermally strengthened lightweight glass bottle, the company has developed one of the industry’s most significant product innovations. The company’s entry into the Austrian brewing industry has been a success; in Pöchlarn, the first large-scale plant for industrial series production is set to begin operations this year. “This already sets us apart significantly from many competitors,” says Burkhardt. The key now is to continue along this path consistently – and to understand customers’ needs even better.

Looking ahead

Burkhardt himself is therefore currently visiting many customers in person and seeking direct dialogue. “Personal relationships are important,” he emphasises.  At the same time, he sees great potential in further developing processes with the help of new technologies. Digitalisation offers the opportunity to make processes more efficient, to make decisions more quickly and on a more informed basis, to further strengthen collaboration across sites and, last but not least, to engage customers more effectively and create added value for them. Burkhardt sees this as a building block for Vetropack’s future. He is gaining valuable insights here, particularly for the ongoing strategy process, the results of which will be presented in the summer: “That will set the direction for us in the coming years.”