Hafele India aims to confidently underline its launch into the future with this change at the top

Hafele India has undergone a major personnel change on the occasion of its 20th birthday as a wholly owned subsidiary of the International Hafele Group (headquartered in German). After 21-plus years of managing all business operations of the Hafele Group in South Asia including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal, Jurgen Wolf decided to retire and hand over the management of the company to Frank Schloeder on February 1, 2023.

With a long-standing motto of the company to be ‘future ready’, Hafele India aims to confidently underline its launch into the future with this change at the top. Over the past few months, Schloeder has been closely inducted into the culture and operations of Hafele first at the headquarters in Nagold (Germany) and then by Wolf in the special context of region South Asia. The passing of the management reins happened strategically over the last two months with January 31, 2023, being the last working day of our now-retired MD, Jurgen Wolf.

Having a core interest of setting up new markets, Wolf took the Indian subsidiary from a mere liaison office to the multiregional Interiors Specialist that it is today. Over the last 21-plus years, he has been instrumental in setting up new markets for Hafele in different parts of South Asia through a well-established trade network and an exclusive Hafele Franchise setup. He started with a team of 10 employees back in 2001 and has, over the years, hired and developed a talent pool of over 1500 employees who cater to all possible customers through their individual competencies in business.

Under his astute leadership, Hafele India successfully aligned its product and service offerings to match the consumption pattern and lifestyles of South Asia, perceiving their unique needs and preferences and delivering solutions that cater to the local market requirements. This led to innovative product introductions such as the Altius FS Hobs that are engineered to be fully sealed reducing seepage (a recurring problem faced by Indian households), Terra Quartz Surfaces that host a range of contemporary colours and textures, Hafele’s Space Square Transformable Furniture Fittings Range that virtually multiplies the space available as well as services like Meister that offers complete installation of technical products from Häfele, by trained service technicians at a nominal service charge. Furthermore, the scope of Hafele India’s product range expanded to include not only luxury offerings but also premium and affordable premium options, all adhering to the brand’s hallmark standards of quality.

Speaking about his successor, Wolf affirmed, “After working closely with Frank for the last 2-3 months, I have discovered that we hold very similar outlooks and value sets and in essence are very similar people. We are confident that he is the right person to lead the company forward and I am very excited to see what the future holds.”

Having more than 25 years of experience with the BMW Group (a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles), Frank Schloeder, the current Managing Director of Hafele South Asia, holds a truly international career spanning across different countries like Germany, France and India. He carries a dual degree in International Studies in Business Administration from the University of Munster, Germany and Montpellier Business School, France. He has had the good fortune of gaining experience in different fields including Marketing and Sales, Product Management, Business Planning, Strategy and Operations giving him a comprehensive business understanding. Schloeder, with his vast experience, has been instrumental in unlocking market potential, developing strong business strategies, exploring new revenue channels and building strategic brand presence and sales in emerging markets for the automobile giant. During his four-year stint in India (through his earlier organization), first as Director-Marketing and later as President, Schloeder was able to understand the unique nuances of the Indian culture and devise be-fitting strategies for this market and build an impactful brand positioning in India. 

Having an expansive yet diverse career trajectory has given him an immense exposure to various cultures and value sets. His curiosity and eye for detail as well as his ability to empower the people he works with have been instrumental in building his overall professional outlook and backed his business success. Bringing this rich and diverse experience to Hafele, Schloeder looks forward to harnessing his competencies with respect to unlocking market potential, customer experience, brand management and digitalization to establish future capabilities of building a robust value chain and developing a strong connection with end consumers. Speaking about shaping a formidable future, Schloeder states, “I truly believe that the entire business process should pivot around the customer, and it is this unified customer-centric approach that will eventually deliver sustainable success for any organisation.” He further added, “I am grateful to Jurgen for supporting and guiding me in the past few months. I admire and respect him for the company he has built from the ground up and take this responsibility of nurturing it and driving it to excellence very seriously.”