Interview with Bastian Bendig: Insights into the next generation at mt-g
The appointment of Bastian Bendig as Head of Corporate Communication and Business Development marks the beginning of a new chapter at mt-g – one that focuses equally on continuity and further development. As the son of the company founder, he not only understands mt-g from a business perspective, but has also grown up with the company both personally and professionally. In this interview, he talks to us about his role, his goals, and what it’s like to take on responsibility in the family business – balancing familiar faces and new challenges.
Hello Bastian, it’s good to talk with you today about your new role, the future, and even a little bit about the past.
Thanks, I’m really looking forward to it and am curious to find out what questions you’ll be asking me.
Let’s start with a slightly personal question. Essentially, you’ve known mt-g your whole life – what’s your first memory of the company?
Honestly, I can’t say for sure whether it’s actually more of an “implanted” memory or a real memory. But I’ve got this image in my head of lying on the fax machine in the first office of mt-g in Uferstraße in Neu-Ulm. My father’s to the right of me at his desk with the telephone receiver in his hand, while my mother is to the left of me feeding paper into the fax machine. I think mt-g had been going around two years at that point. At that time, I would be around one year old, so I don't think that can be my own memory.
The first memory I know for sure is mine is at the third office of mt-g in Böfingen. In the fifth grade, I walked past the bus stop after school, went into the office building in front, and then drove home with my mom.
Did you always see yourself working at mt-g, or did you think about taking a different career path?
No, not at all. I only thought about joining mt-g in the last five to seven years. My childhood dream was always to be an inventor. But I soon abandoned that idea once I decided that most things had already been invented. Then I wanted to become a carpenter. I even did a lot of internships in the field. For a long time, wood was my favorite working material, but as I got older, my interests changed.
I started to study automotive engineering, but unfortunately failed at the advanced mathematics. Then I sat down and did a lot of self-analysis and asked myself, what do you actually want to do? And pretty quickly, I realized I wanted to do something with people. I would class myself as very communicative and empathetic, and it dawned on me I could kill two birds with one stone. I started to study Business Psychology, and decided fairly quickly in the first semester that this is what I wanted to do. Human Resources, Business Development, Communications – to be at the intersection of these three fields. So I decided to join mt-g, which my parents were of course happy to facilitate without any pressure at all.
What motivated you to actively join mt-g at that time? Was there a specific moment when you thought, this is the right time?
I don't think there's ever really a right time. I think, particularly when you join a company as a son of the owners, you’re only ever going to do everything wrong. You somehow need to prove yourself, to show that you’re not just the son, but you actually have a little bit going on between the ears. But I'm very grateful for how things have turned out. My parents asked me if I'd be able to lead a strategy meeting. And there's no denying that was a big challenge to set up the meetings with the entire board. But I said to myself, well that's a good starting point. So then, during my studies, I provided input several times a week, put forward questions from different angles, and thought about where the company could go next. What’s the strategic direction for the future? So that was the point when I really felt, OK, this is where I can spread my wings.
In your new role as Head of Internal Communications and Business Development, you’re taking on a lot of responsibility – how do you perceive these two areas?
At university, we were always told that corporate communication is the most difficult area there is: convey information and kick-start change processes – without anyone feeling left out. I was happy to take on this challenge, and have already implemented some initial measures in my first eight months of working full-time at mt-g – and have even received some positive feedback, which I'm delighted about.
Business development is an ongoing process.
I like to say that the fifth industrial revolution has started without us even noticing.
AI has arrived in our working lives, and the change processes that experts and big firms used to describe as having 10, 15, or 20-year cycles are, in my opinion, a thing of the past thanks to AI. Because of the short-lived nature of the modern economy, I believe that the change process never ends. Which is why I think it’s crucial that the company has someone who actively analyzes this and checks whether the company is moving with the times – and it's a role I was happy to take on to ensure continuous development.
As well as internal communication, you also have responsibilities in HR. What’s particularly important to you when handling employees and applicants?
Well, I like to think the two areas can be merged: for me, Communication and HR belong together. The most important thing for me is to know how the employees feel, what’s the atmosphere in the team like, what's the atmosphere in the company, and what are the concerns of individuals? Understanding these things allows me to build my optimum communications strategy.
When dealing with employees, I believe it’s hugely important to be respectful and see eye to eye. Looking at the big corporations, I don't think the authoritarian management style of recent years fits in very well with us here at mt-g. I prefer to work closely with my colleagues and get more input. Obviously, most people have been here far longer than I have and know their specialist areas better, so I see my role as being more about acquiring knowledge and incorporating this into my communications.
New responsibilities often mean new ideas. Which specific goals have you set yourself for your new areas of responsibility at mt-g? Are there any new ideas that you specifically want to bring to the company?
My main aim is to continue increasing employee satisfaction at the company and to give employees a feeling of security as the company embarks on a new direction. That’s something I want to achieve by leveraging the synergies of HR and internal communication.
We push forward: we don't stand still, but instead look towards the future. Naturally, it's a big responsibility, but luckily I'm not alone.
One specific measure that I set up was a regular dialog with all employees on this issue: an open dialog without any stipulations, where employees can provide feedback on any topic. I also decided to sit down with the teams once a month so that they can ask me questions about the future, and where I simply try to alleviate any uncertainties.
Let’s take another look at the future – what development opportunities do you see for mt-g in the coming years – particularly in terms of Communication and Business Development?
In terms of communication, we’re on the right path. I want to continue working to ensure there’s an open structure at mt-g, that no-one feels unheard or feels they have to keep their opinions to themselves, that we communicate as equals and can give each other feedback – quite simply to foster a good working climate, that’s my primary aim.
In terms of business development, the main thing to mention is that we’re in the active phase of developing new services – including AI-based services. Obviously, I can't go into more detail on this right now.
Your parents founded mt-g more than 25 years ago and since then have been managing mt-g as managing directors and owners. You’re now bringing in fresh impetus and new ideas. How do you separate your family relationships and professional roles – or is that not always necessary?
Thankfully that's not necessary. I have a very good relationship with my parents. When we have lunch together or go on holiday together, we don't feel the need to separate things, and actually I really like that. Conversation quickly alternates between private matters and work topics. And it's precisely because of these conversations without any separation of family and business life that wonderful new ideas emerge. I'm really glad that I'm able to get feedback on my new ideas or opinions from people who have been in the business for over 25 years. Of course, there are times when we might have differences of opinion, but in all of my 25 years, there’s never been anything that we can't resolve.
Did your parents give you any special advice before you took up your new position?
Actually, they give me advice all the time. And in fact I'm very grateful to have them by my side as advisors, as it were. Any time I have a question or a problem where I could do with a bit more input, I can just phone them up.
One more question: What do you like most in your new role?
What do I like most? I really value sharing ideas with colleagues every day and the fact that they give me the chance to prove myself and to be a valued colleague for them – without any prejudices.
Thank you, Bastian, for an interesting talk and the insights you've given us today. And may we wish you every success for the future!
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