Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1541367
16 PCB007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2025 consultant and project manager for companies pur- chasing complete PCB shops. I ended up becoming the head of one of the sales teams (equipment for PCB production) at my previous company. In parallel to my main job, I began delivering a self-created course at the MIREA University titled "How to Produce PCBs." I did this every Saturday for fourth-year students majoring in PCB design. After the Russia/Ukraine war began, I made the decision to leave and move to Uzbekistan. This was a challenging time. I was away from home and family. I struggled to find work. During that period, I sent an email to all my pre- vious professional contacts, simply writing, "Thank you for 10 years of joint work." Schmoll Maschinen got in touch with me quickly, and I was offered a job within three days of my interview. After I had signed a contract, I had to prepare the documents for a visa, apply for it, and then wait for a decision on my personal case. In total, it took six months. It was the craziest six months of my life. At one point, for a short period, I even played guitar in a restaurant just for food. Now, I handle sales and marketing at Schmoll, and I am extremely happy about it. I believe my compre- hensive background has allowed me to bring very strong results to the company. Currently, since I live in Germany, I am learning Deutsch (German) and diving even deeper into the machines and technol- ogies supplied by Schmoll. That is quite a trajectory in your life and career so far. What personal milestones are you proud of? I am proud of several personal milestones. In 2016, I summited Mount Elbrus (5,642m), despite having no prior hiking experience. I got married in 2017. My wonderful daughter was born in 2018, and my family and I successfully immigrated to Germany in 2023. What do you enjoy most about working with Schmoll and the job that you do? When I first immigrated to Germany, after half a year without a job in Uzbekistan, I started communicating with customers. I soon realized I needed business cards, so I asked my boss, Schmoll CEO Stephan Kunz, what my job title should be. He replied: "Good question! What are you planning to do in our com- pany?" I could not imagine such an empowering reply. In my opinion, that perfectly represents Schmoll and the company's core values. It is an incredibly flex- ible company where you can genuinely propose ideas and create new things. There are no unnec- essary barriers or strict rules. It is a company that truly values people: employees, customers, and partners alike. Thanks to this attitude from the owners, I am able to maximize my potential here. I managed to find completely new customers through cold outreach and was able to lead complicated marketing proj- ects, involving and coordinating multiple depart- ments, and I am supporting sales-wise specific regions (e.g.: some non-German speaking coun- tries of Europe and India). Most significantly, I was entrusted to take responsibility for projects worth over €10 million within my very first year. That's great, Simon. Now, this is a busy and demanding industry. How do you like to spend your time to create a work-life balance? I spend a lot of time with my family. I also enjoy play- ing the guitar. Additionally, I love listening to music. You might see me walking down the street with my white, oversized headphones on, making a few dance moves—if the music is good, I truly don't care what strangers think! PCB007