As the second founder generation, Marie Langer took over as CEO of EOS in October 2019 and is responsible for the strategic direction of EOS and its subsidiaries. Her goals are digitalization, industrialization and sustainability of 3D printing. This involves the integration of industrial 3D printing into the digital value chain of production and the further industrialization of the technology for series production. At the same time, Marie Langer is passionately driving forward a comprehensive corporate concept that combines innovation and sustainability with the goal of enabling a responsible manufacturing that offers customers competitive yet sustainable solutions, at the same time offering social and ecological benefits to the world.
Marie Langer has previously held various leadership positions at EOS, including management of the social venture program as well as corporate and business development for the broader EOS GROUP. She is a qualified psychologist specialized on organizational and educational psychology, hold a degree in corporate leadership from the IESE Business School and before EOS founded ELEMENT A, an initiative to promote innovation in education.
What advice would you share with someone looking into a career in additive manufacturing now?
Depending on the position you apply for, you need a profound technical education, of course – but most importantly, be fascinated about additive manufacturing and the impact our technology can have regarding economy, environment and society. Additionally, it is of advantage to be a digital native or to be totally into digitalization so that you are able to leverage the potential of AM by connecting it with the entire digital value chain. Think out of the box, be solution-oriented, be creative and push the limit of what is possible. Try to stay curious, flexible in your approaches – there is not one single answer to all the questions we and our customers have.
When hiring, what are you looking for in a candidate?
I love to work with people who are passionate about something, think outside the box, try to see the big picture, are authentic and self-reflective and want to keep on growing and learning. On top of that, a good sense of humor and respectful and appreciative behavior are important to me.
What is the best advice you were given in your career?
I have three advices in mind.
1. Do what you want to do and not what others recommend, in the end it’s about following your inner voice and do what feels right, then you will be intrinsically motivated and connect to it with a purpose.
2. Surround yourself with people that challenge you in a supporting manner and whom you want to learn from.
3. A very good friend of mine advised me, do not look for a good company, look at the boss you will be working for and choose here wisely.
In your experience, what are some actionable ways we can promote gender equality and diversity more broadly?
We need to embrace diversity and especially as leaders, we need to promote this internally but also externally. This diversity is a great benefit for us as a company, but also for everyone. Different cultures, mentalities and points of view are enriching when working together and constantly enhance our personal development. Promoting diversity is not about communicating it once. It is a mindset you need to establish in the corporate culture and which we need to bring to life every day and in all our daily actions.
How can a company like EOS be a leader in gender equality in our industry?
We establish a culture in which women feel comfortable in driving topics forward, accept challenges and take over responsibilities for certain topics, teams, etc. It starts with establishing women in the upper management and then, motivate women to be more self-confident and apply for certain positions. It’s not about having only a women’s, we need that mindset in the entire organization. We also think about how we can attract more women, especially in technical jobs, offer a flexible working environment, so that we offer the best working environment, also for working mums. And, we continuously need to take care of equal payment.
As a leader, quite a few people are looking up to you. I’d like to know who inspires you:
Very different ones. From Satya Nadella, Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela to Anne Frank and Greta Thunberg – their being humane is always the most important thing for me and that they stand up for what they believe in.
Is there anything else you’d like to add as a final remark?
Beside diversity and gender equality, another important topic for us at EOS is the newly created purpose. We strongly believe that we can contribute as a company and with our technology to making the world a better place. For us sustainable action and financial performance do not exclude but rather fertilize each other. Our purpose is to lead the world into responsible manufacturing with industrial 3D printing. And establish responsible manufacturing as the “new normal”. I think it is totally important that we provide a framework and a long-term goal to all employees, so that they know the direction we want to go and that they are able to even more identify themselves with EOS. That was also why we involved all employees worldwide in the first idea iteration process of this purpose. It is essential to build on the opinion and knowledge of the employees to drive the company and the technology forward, and to jointly strive for achieving this purpose.
