Interview with Uwe Wanger
Cast off & off to new shores

Uwe, you grew up in Sauerland, far away from the sea. When did you learn to love the Baltic Sea?

i went to Kiel for the first time with my school class in 1973. We were allowed to visit the Gorch Fock, went to the beach on grey days and got to know the city from a rough but very fascinating side. Even though Kiel looked very different back then - a view of scrap heaps on the east bank, hardly any cafés in the city centre. Nevertheless, I fell in love with Kiel. I found it so fascinating that the Gorch Fock was here, the navy, the beaches on the doorstep! Then there were the stories from my family: two of my uncles were submariners and sailed from Kiel. So I had the feeling early on that this city was part of my DNA. It quickly became clear: if I was going to study, it would be here.

Did it take a long time to get the "Moin" in?

No, that's a great thing about the "Moin". The normal Sauerlander can't open his mouth properly either, just like a Schleswig-Holsteiner, so it somehow fitted right from the start.

How did it come about that you became Managing Director of Kiel-Marketing in 2006?

I was looking for a new job after having been self-employed for many years with an advertising and communications marketing agency and most recently founding a management consultancy. However, all future paths there pointed to China - I didn't want that with my children. During a Kieler Woche business trip, I was approached by Michael Zeinert from the Kiel Chamber of Industry and Commerce, who was the interim managing director of Kiel-Marketing e.V. at the time. At first I declined. The next morning I read in the newspaper that the position was difficult to fill. My wife then said: "That's exactly the right thing. Then you can stay in Kiel and don't have to keep travelling the world." I had a lot of experience in business management, marketing, communication and the organisation of large events. There was only one thing I didn't have: sailing experience. But that wasn't crucial. First and foremost, it was about using sailing as a marketing tool for a city and getting the best out of it for the Kiel.Sailing.City brand - and so one of my first measures on the job was to introduce the brand in tourism and city marketing for Kiel.

Do you find it difficult to let things go?

No. When you see that good work is being done and the right people are in the right place, it makes me rather proud. My management style is deliberately designed so that others can take the lead and I don't always have to be at the front.

Events such as the sea of lights, farmers' market, ice festival and the like?

Exactly. It was clear to me right from the start that event marketing was the right way forward for Kiel. Events have a dual function: they are there for the city society and at the same time make Kiel visible both nationally and internationally. Tourism, city and event marketing are intertwined. We always communicate as a whole - for guests and for local people.

Where have you and your team been particularly successful in boosting the quality of life in the city?

A good example is the boat harbour summer. With it, we have created a new venue and a real nucleus in the city centre - free and outside, accessible to everyone. Students, schoolchildren and anyone who wants to go somewhere in the evening come here. Another example is the sailing camp on the Kiellinie. Despite resistance, a real third place has been created there with catering facilities and later a bathing area. Today, people love to meet here after work - in good or bad weather -, go by, get a fish sandwich, jump into the water, go SUPing, play volleyball or simply sit by the water and watch the children learn to sail. Something has been created on the Kiellinie that is now a natural part of city life. Incidentally, it's also one of my personal favourite places in Kiel. I've even come to love the view of the shipyard cranes. (laughs)

The way you're sitting here, but also the way you go about your day-to-day work, you radiate such lightness. How do you maintain this when you have so much to keep track of?

An important point is to have people around you who you can trust completely and who do a good job - that's exactly what I had and still have! When I know that others can take over, I'm more relaxed. Over time, you also realise that you're not the most important person in the world - and that's relieving and contributes to a sense of ease. I also have a stable private environment. My family is my safe harbour.

Speaking of family: what does it mean to you that your wife has accompanied and supported you so intensively over the years?

Without this support, I wouldn't have been able to do the job like this - I'm thinking, for example, of the late-night appointments or the weekends when I was travelling. You can only do all that if you have a partner who is on board. My wife put her own career on the back burner for many years to look after our two children. This support was hugely important. Knowing that you have someone who supports you and understands what this job means is priceless. I am very grateful to her for that.

You have never missed the opportunity to take part in events such as the Business Run, the Lighthouse Swim or even the Anbaden and have proven how fit you are every time. Do you think you will continue to take part in such adventurous and sporting events in the future?

Let me put it this way: when you do a job like I do, you have to lead the way. I can't expect anything from trainees or employees that I'm not prepared to do myself. This became particularly clear when we went swimming: everyone was shivering and could probably have imagined better things than jumping into the ice-cold water. As managing director, it's part of the job to join in and lead the way. I'll probably still be there this year, but I'm not so sure about next year. (laughs)

Where are we going?

We're travelling to China, among other places. I've been there several times both professionally and privately, but my wife has never been. Now we're deliberately taking the time to get to know the country together - with a short round trip. Kiel's neighbouring city of Qingdao is of course on the itinerary and we are visiting friends there. It has always been important to me to maintain contact with China, regardless of the changing political attitudes. Our Chinese partners are still very grateful to us today that we, together with the Kiel Yacht Club, helped them to prepare for the Olympic Games in terms of sailing.

Not to forget: the valuable exchange of our international young sailing talent.

That's right. We have already enabled children from Kiel to take part in a Sailing Week over there several times. And vice versa: in May, six children from China will be coming to sail with us again. These are lasting experiences and insights for the children, which are very important for finding their way in an internationally diverse world today. I therefore very much hope that these relationships will continue in the future.

One last question: do you find the word "retirement" as misleading as I do? For the life of me, I can't imagine that things will be quiet for you now.

No, I don't think so either! When you're used to having at least five appointments every day, retirement certainly feels strange at first. And yet I want to try to make a conscious effort to allow myself more time for things I've neglected so far and maybe even sleep in from time to time. As a trained designer, my creativity won't leave me so quickly when it comes to organising my future daily routine.