New CIO drives digitization at a. hartrodt

Since April 1, 2021, a. hartrodt has a new Group Chief Information Officer (CIO): Hartmut Willebrand operates from the Hamburg headquarters of the management holding company and replaces Peter K. Albrecht, who previously held the position ad interim. The 59-year-old reports directly to the Managing Partner, Felix Wenzel. "My core topic is digital transformation. The focus is on the solution for the customer," explains the electrical engineer. Today, IT is an absolute prerequisite for business and is therefore of key importance in the company as a business enabler.

IT experience from different industries

Willebrand has more than 32 years of IT experience in various industries such as automotive, medical technology and insurance. Most recently, he was CIO at a medium-sized food manufacturer. He has been named "CIO of the Year" several times by trade media and gained IT consulting experience at Cap Gemini. He lives with his family on a farm, enjoys driving a tractor and is a passionate footballer.

CargoWise One important milestone

At a. hartrodt, Willebrand finds "the internationality appealing" – and that requires high transparency: "We have to deliver our services right into the customer's company and to consolidate different systems." The goal is a seamless, efficient flow of information with appropriate interfaces: "From order placement to shipment of goods, everything will work digitally." The CargoWise One supply chain platform is an important milestone. "In the future, customers will be able to reach us for their standard business 24 hours a day via a portal," says Willebrand. For individual consulting, a. hartrodt continues to prefer personal conversation.

At the beginning of 2022, the CargoWise One project team will start the worldwide rollout. With 60 staff members, Willebrand wants to "provide a highly available system infrastructure" globally. The key question is always: What does our customer need?