Our new Regional Sales Manager for the region EUROPE&AFRICA

Maikel Malki has been passionate about valves and HEROSE for more than 17 years. After many positions in sales, he took on the position as RSM EUROPE & AFRICA in June 2025. With his understanding of applications, the market, and customer needs, he aims to further develop the sales team and make it strong for the future.

Maikel, you started your career here as an apprentice. What did you enjoy most about your training at HEROSE?

Even before officially beginning my apprenticeship in August 2008, I found my way to HEROSE back in March of the same year. On August 1st, I started my training as an industrial clerk.

What I particularly appreciated about my apprenticeship at HEROSE was the high level of trust placed in me right from the very first day. I wasn’t treated like a typical trainee who just observes or takes on simple tasks. Instead, I was immediately part of the team and allowed to get involved straight away.

Early on, I was given responsibility and worked independently on tasks that made a noticeable contribution to day-to-day business. That gave me the feeling of truly being needed and personally motivated me a great deal.

What I found especially valuable was the combination of practical, hands-on experience and the strong support from experienced colleagues. I was always encouraged to ask questions, received honest feedback, and was actively supported in my development.

One moment that really stuck with me was when I first saw where our products were being shipped around the world and the exciting applications they were used in.

After your apprenticeship, you worked in several internal sales positions. What were your key takeaways or biggest learning moments during that time?

My time in sales was very educational. Right after my apprenticeship, I joined the order processing team. That was my first direct contact with our customers. Early on, my technical affinity became apparent, and I regularly switched between order processing and technical customer support as a flexible team member. This helped me handle a wide variety of customer interactions with confidence.

Once again, the support from experienced colleagues was a great advantage. They helped me feel secure in my daily work. This phase shaped me not only professionally but also personally. I was able to gain insight into the full spectrum of our sales processes, from quotations to order fulfilment and develop a deep understanding of our products and our customers.

One major “aha” moment for me was realizing how crucial smooth communication is both internally with other departments and externally with customers. Especially when many people are involved, a well-formulated sentence or a timely callback can make all the difference in whether a project runs successfully or not.

The topic of reliability also became deeply ingrained in me during this time. As the first point of contact for customers, people expect nothing less than clarity, commitment, and quick solutions and that’s exactly what I learned to deliver.

During my time in sales, I also took the opportunity to pursue further education. While working full-time, I studied for my business administration qualification, which I successfully completed in 2015. This period was certainly intense, but also very rewarding, and it significantly broadened my knowledge base.

HEROSE gave me the opportunity to attend international trade fairs, which allowed me to travel to countries such as Japan, Singapore, and Dubai. National events like Achema and Valve World also showed me how well travel and work can be combined. These experiences had a lasting impact on me and ultimately led to my decision to move into field sales in 2018.

When I took over the role of Area Sales Manager that year, I was able to put all this knowledge into practice. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about internal processes anymore, it was about direct customer contact, technically complex projects, and often also about making important long-term decisions. This new responsibility challenged me, but it also helped me grow significantly. Looking back, that was a key phase in my professional development.

You recently became a Regional Sales Manager. What are you most excited about in your new role?

What excites me most about my new role is the strategic perspective on our sales region, the opportunity to actively help shape where and how we grow. It’s no longer just about supporting existing customers or implementing individual projects; it’s about the overarching development of our market presence in the region.

The Europe and Africa sales region is one of the largest, and I am now responsible for it. My team and I, of which I was an active part until recently, have done an outstanding job over the past few years. Now it’s time to build on that success together. With our collective expertise and strong team spirit, I’m confident that we’ll continue to achieve great things in the future.

I’m especially looking forward to supporting the team on a professional level and developing new approaches together to work even more efficiently and with greater customer focus. It’s important to me that we grow together as a team and learn from one another. Everyone brings strengths and experiences that we can put to targeted use.

At the same time, I want to build and maintain long-term customer relationships. I’m not only focused on achieving short-term success, but on creating real, lasting value. I see our role not simply in selling, but in working closely with our customers to solve challenges as true partners.

What makes me particularly proud is that I can bring everything I’ve learned over the past few years into this role, while also continuing to learn something new every day. Sales remains a dynamic environment, and that’s exactly what motivates me day after day.

Our goal is clear: together with the team and our customers, we want to continue developing the region and driving HEROSE’s growth in a sustainable way.