ASK & ME

Because of their enthusiasm, expertise and service orientation, our employees have made ASK Chemicals what it is today: One of the world's leading suppliers of foundry chemicals and consumables.
For this reason, it is important for us to provide our employees with the best possible support in their daily challenges! Through the ASK & ME initiative, we want to give a guideline for our employees through the labyrinth of the sometimes complex world of work.
We are convinced that certain behaviors will help to make ASK Chemicals and its team even more successful, and help cope with complex situations in the future:

BEING CONNECTED

For us being connected means listening, understanding and cooperating  with our stakeholders. It is essential to be connected with our internal and external customers, with our teams and the whole ASK organization. We are open and willing to discuss, but once a decision is made we comply and fully support it. We avoid silo-thinking on all levels. We all will work on our company’s success – jointly and respectful as one team.

Charles Hoertz, Head of Global Digitalization

ASK Chemicals has greatly supported my strategic vision through the development of sustainable digital tools for the purpose of collecting market intelligence. The Foundry Atlas® - a patented enterprise application - has not only helped identify opportunities for faster commercial response, but it has also provided a visual aid to better understanding our territories for strategic alignment.

BEING POSITIVE

We will always look for the best in everything we do and encounter. We develop and build on strengths and empower our people. We trust our management, colleagues and employees. We all are quick to compliment and slow to condemn.

Miriam Hoces, HR Manager, Spain

I believe in the idea that our attitude not only directly impacts our mood but also that of all those around us. I am happy  to work in an environment where attitude is given so much importance and positive attitude is encouraged. Taking the work forward and being productive is important, but also to face our day to day with a positive and collaborative attitude. ASK makes us aware of the importance of striving to maintain a positive attitude, even if it is not always easy, because it is something that is very worthwhile, something that will have positive effects on our mood, on the way we work and how we relate to our friends and colleagues, and that will ultimately create an exceptional work environment. To be positive is to accept the challenges that come with enthusiasm and optimism, which with the support of a team like ASK, makes everything much easier.

Daniel Dentgen, Process Development Wülfrath, Germany

I work since 2007 at ASK Chemicals and had the chance to develop myself and work with different people. Thereby I met mostly people with positive attitudes. I see that a lot of people at ASK are being positive, even in hard times. It is easy for me to be positive as well, as I have people around me, which are always helpful and future-oriented, which helps to optimize work processes.
I think, that such an attitude makes ASK for me a special employer.

SEAN HARMON, PRODUCT MANAGER, USA

Our customers often turn to ASK Chemicals to further their knowledge of identifying and resolving casting defects. As a Technical Product Manager my role includes presenting and educating our customers on these topics at our bi-annual Casting Academy event and at regional American Foundry Society (AFS) Chapters. Education is a valuable service that I am proud to offer to our industry.

BEING COURAGEOUS

We are invited to try new ways of doing things and therefore ready to leave our comfort zones.This implies also taking difficult decisions. We openly engage in constructive dialogues based on facts – not on rumors and emotions. We have the courage to admit mistakes and focus on finding a solution.

Hiroshi NAMBA, General Manager Japan, and Commercial Director South East Asia

As GM and as Commercial Director, I must “be courageous”; but this is not because ASK Chemicals pushes people to be so. It is the natural culture of the company, and also reflects my character. ASK Chemicals does not blame people when they make a mistake; in some cases, it is better to make a mistake than not, because mistakes can happen as the result of a new challenge. Without challenges, there are no mistakes, no failure. The first mistake is an “experience” and a step to new findings! I myself have learned a lot from my mistakes, no…. I mean my experiences, and the me of today is the result of the experiences I have made with the support of my colleagues, managers, and company. Do not stay in your Cozy Corner! Let’s take on a new challenge together! 
My New Challenge? yes SEA Biz, a new experience is waiting me!

DELIVERING ON PROMISES

We will deliver on our promises to create more trust and efficiency for our business. We think twice before making promises. Each one of us tries everything to keep promises made. We do not want to create surprises for anyone. As soon as we realize that we cannot keep our promises, we raise our hand and offer alternatives.

Young-Woo Jin, Finance & Accounting, Korea

I started my career at ASK Chemicals Korea in June 2016 and have worked for the Finance and Accounting department in ASKOR. Successful teamwork highly depends on trust among colleagues. Keeping to what has been agreed and what has been promised is crucial. I have internalized this for myself. Certainly, sometimes there are situations where you may not be able to deliver on time or keep the promise 100%. In such situations, it is important to talk about it with the team in good time so that everyone is informed and can perhaps also help find a solution.

ADDING VALUE

We focus on adding value to our stakeholders and ASK as a group. It has priority over the optimization of individual, departmental or regional targets. “Adding value” has many facets: It can be improving effectiveness and efficiency and reducing costs. Or helping our colleagues to be successful either by sharing know-how and experience or by offering a helping hand. It can be providing product and service features or problem solutions, which our customers are willing to pay for. We all want to contribute to our company’s success.

MARKUS KOTZUR, HEAD OF HR (INTERIM), EUROPE

For me as HR function I am asking myself how I can add value to the business and the organization. What can I contribute to ASK’s success? 
I am happy when I can support our managers to achieve their goals, also when there is (internal) resistance or people who have become too comfortable in their position.
For me as a manger it means adding to my team’s success by helping my team members where it is appropriate.

ELAINE TEODORO, Senior HR Analyst, Brasil

I have been working in the HR area at ASK for 11 years and all this time has meant a lot of learning, maturation and development. Working in HR, my main client is the internal one, and due to the size of the plant, it is possible to know each employee by name, and of many of them the history and desires, but when we talk about people, what actually adds value to one may not be the same as for the other, what is important to one is not necessarily to the other. So, I try to put myself in my client's shoes, listen, repair, ask, try to understand what will really make the difference in that specific situation so that at the end of the day I have delivered a little more than the day before, that makes the difference in meaningful way and that for me is the real meaning of adding value!