Johannes Bornmueller is the new Senior Director for HR, Legal & Compliance at NSK, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of motion and control technologies. With over 20 years of experience, Bornmueller previously held senior HR positions at international technology companies in sectors that include automotive and chemical. Professionally trained as a lawyer, his appointment underpins ‘compliance’ as one of NSK’s four core values, alongside safety, quality and the environment.
For NSK, compliance goes beyond adherence to laws and regulations, it entails acting in accordance with internal rules, social norms and corporate philosophy in a sincere and fair manner. Moreover, compliance means earning trust and contributing to economic and social development around the world.
Bornmueller will work closely with colleagues in Europe, Japan and the Americas as part of an international role. However, this is familiar territory for someone who was trained in Germany but spent a number of years working abroad.
“The various ways that people from different cultures address and solve problems is very enriching and helpful for a better solution,” he says. “Dealing with issues efficiently is what provides my motivation. Lawyers have a reputation for slowing down the process of change, but I’m an 80:20 person – someone who focuses on the important 80% of things. If you bring all your concerns to the table at the same time, nothing will ever change. And in a fast moving world, an organisation must always adapt in order to stay ahead.”
An optimistic, solution-orientated personality, Bornmueller loves industry. He particularly enjoys the engineering and development process as it comes from a spirit of continuous improvement.
“Within industry, I always find companies are more willing to improve,” he reveals. “The manufacturing industry in Europe is very innovative, where evolution and improvement has become normal. The objective of any change is that things must be better afterwards. And I like to mirror that ethos from an HR point of view.”
Although only starting in September 2024, Bornmueller is already embracing NSK’s corporate culture, focusing on a number of specific topics, including psychological safety.
Johannes Bornmueller, NSK Senior Director for HR, Legal & Compliance
“If people feel that they work in a safe environment, one where they can speak up, they are more willing to leave their comfort zone and explore new ideas,” he says. “Sure, taking a new approach might not go exactly as planned, but it might also provide a source of significant untapped revenue. Without feeling comfortable enough to try something new, you’ll never know. We must provide challenges and opportunities to employees, utilise their skills and encourage their creativity and individuality.”
Of course, NSK is already on a journey of creativity, providing solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow, be it sustainability, mobility, electrification or renewable energy.
“These focus areas play an increasingly important part of the career decisions taken by younger generations, who we are keen to attract,” concludes Bornmueller. “NSK, with its Japanese culture, can make a very good case when it comes to relevance and purpose. The approach to change and improvement in Japanese culture is incremental: take small steps, but never stop. NSK is all about developing solutions that create value for the betterment of global society. Hopefully, I can make a notable contribution to that philosophy.”
