Winner's story: Mirko Vollmer

Mirko from Germany shares his story celebrating the collaboration, teamwork and cultural exchange that come with working in a global role at John Crane. In his entry, Mirko explains how working with colleagues across seven countries has given him a deeper understanding of how different cultures think, work and solve problems together.

My mornings start with colleagues in APAC. By midday, I am deep in conversations across EMEA. And when my afternoon begins, the Americas come online. From my desk in Germany, I connect with my team across seven countries and with partners spread across even more. This is what a global role at John Crane looks like. And it has changed me.

Working across so many regions, I have gained something no guidebook or documentary gives you: a firsthand understanding of how people in different parts of the world think, work, and solve problems. I have learned what matters in India, what drives decisions in Mexico, how teams in the Middle East approach challenges. Every culture brings something distinct, and every one of them has taught me something I carry forward. It has opened my mind, made me a better listener, and pushed me to grow alongside the people I work with.

What I value most is how, regardless of background, people across John Crane are willing to go above and beyond to support each other. When a project hits a wall in one region, colleagues from another step in. People take ownership, deliver results together, and move fast when it counts. The shared goal matters more than the distance.

That spirit starts with how we all lead. In my experience, the best outcomes happen when people feel trusted and empowered to act, when the team sets a direction that everyone believes in, and when we hold ourselves accountable for the results. I see this every day across our global team, every colleague and it is what makes the work meaningful.

And then there are the trips. I have visited places and met people I never imagined when I started my career. Those experiences, the handshakes, the dinners, the factory floors on the other side of the planet, are moments I would not trade.

John Crane, and Smiths, gave me this. A career that opens the world and opens your mind, one conversation at a time. I am looking forward to many more years, more shared successes, more experiences and more friendships along the way.