Employee stories
A very exciting time
Even though Priti Gaonkar has only just started her career at Burckhardt Compression, she’s already looking forward to a long and fulfilling journey with the organization. She joined in September 2023 as Head of the Global Service Center in Pune. Priti holds a master’s degree in engineering as well as an MBA and can look back on over 20 years of experience in manufacturing. Having worked across Asia, Europe, and North America, she brings a great deal of international work experience to the company. After 15 years living in the United States, she moved back to India in 2018.
It’s a very exciting time to be with the organization, as it’s pivoting for growth and expansion.
Depending on the day, Priti’s daily work ranges from strategy, leadership, and organizational-level discussions to operations. Her team currently consists of 160 FTEs, but the aim is to be above 200 FTEs by the end of 2024. She believes it is important to spend more time with team members: “I find it very enriching when I connect with people, as it’s amazing to learn about their journey and see how everyone works well together as a team.” She appreciates the fact that even though Burckhardt Compression is a global company, everyone is approachable, even the executive management. According to her,
the work environment at Burckhardt Compression is very conducive to career growth and opportunities. “It’s a very exciting time to be with the organization, as it’s pivoting for growth and expansion.”
The immediate goal for the Global Service Center is to ramp up to be ready to support the planned growth of the business. “The Global Service Center is to provide the organization with the talent and cost arbitrage to improve profitability and growth,” Priti explains. In her long-term vision, the Global Service Center serves as the backbone of the entire organization, supporting all the regions across the globe when needed.
According to Priti, one of the biggest challenges facing the industry is the changing workforce demographics. With Gen Z seeking more fulfilling roles, having the right work environment to keep employees engaged with the right employer value proposition is, in her opinion, of the utmost importance.
Priti Gaonkar
Head of the Global Service Center
Opportunity for growth
Johnson Zhang’s everyday life is characterized by frequent travel between Burckhardt Compression’s two main locations in China, Shanghai and Shenyang. The 46-year-old is Head of the Service Department and has been with the company since 2007. Before joining Burckhardt Compression, Johnson Zhang worked for several internationally renowned companies, including in the petrochemical industry. “I have now been a member of the BC family for over 16 years. I am proud of that,” he says. His goal is to further develop together with the company.
Johnson's week always starts with careful planning. In meetings with various departments, he discusses the allocation of technicians or the review of schedules in various projects, but also receives feedback from customers. The service department, led by the experienced specialist, must ensure that the root cause analysis (RCA) for faults is carried out carefully. In order to exceed customer expectations, the company offers a complete solution from a single source. There are experienced field engineers and a technical support team (FS&TS) to help the customer solve the problem quickly.
Johnson Zhang’s tasks include regular customer visits. Informal communication with customers is all the more important for building a relationship of trust, as competition in the industry is fierce. The continuous development of innovative products and solutions is therefore crucial for the long-term success of a company. The head of the service department sees the development of new renewable energies as a promising field for the future. Johnson Zhang has already achieved many successes with his team. These include the continuous growth of the team in China, exceeding the Mid-Range Plan (MRP) targets – and satisfied team members. “I am really proud that our team is so committed and motivated despite the high level of travel, overtime, and customer contact. We enjoy offering the customer added value and being recognized for it.”
Johnson Zhang
Head of the Service Department
The opportunity for growth, both within the company and personally, gives me the unique chance to take the service team to the next level and enrich our offering.
Actively contributing
“I love the fact that almost every day I have the chance to see and learn something new and interact with many different stakeholders. This makes my job very interesting.” Thomas Rambold’s career bears witness to a desire to learn and discover. After his apprenticeship as a car mechanic, he was initially drawn to the world of aviation. After further training as an aircraft technician, he worked in engine maintenance before moving to MAN Energy Solutions. In 2013, he completed his BSc in engineering and management at the Swiss Distance University (FFHS), which he pursued alongside work during weekends and evenings.
I’m proud that we at Burckhardt Compression are actively contributing to the energy transition and a better world for future generations.
In 2018, Thomas joined Burckhardt Compression as Head of Project Management and Engineering. Besides a global role in project management, this also involved leading teams in Switzerland. After five years in this job, Burckhardt Compression offered him the chance to assume more responsibility and an opportunity for personal growth. “I highly appreciate the fact that I can be part of the Internal Management Program, which gives me the chance to understand our strategic goals even better, learn other aspects of our business, and extend my network of peers and senior management.”
Lately, as Head of Contracting EMEA, he has been responsible for various engineering and project management disciplines in Switzerland and Italy. His days are normally quite packed with alignments and team meetings. “My main focus is on leadership topics, the successful execution of customer projects, and some internal projects designed to further enhance Burckhardt Compression’s competitive edge,” he says. Thomas Rambold sees the energy transition as a great opportunity for the company. “We are in a good position to fulfill our mission in enabling the industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” He can rely on a committed team to help achieve this: “Everyone is more than willing to go the extra mile to reach our corporate targets and contribute to our success.”
Thomas Rambold
Head of Contracting EMEA