More than 70 colleagues from across Europe gathered for this year’s Commercial Kick-Off: two days full of energy, alignment and a shared determination to make 2026 a breakthrough year. The event was held under the Motto “Turn the tide” and can create even more value for our customers while strengthening collaboration across teams and markets.
For me, it was an ideal introduction to the VTG world, as personal interactions allowed me to immediately connect faces to names. The “speed dating” session on the second day helped me gain a direct understanding of the different departments and their processes.
Day 1 – Stronger Together
The opening day centered on one key question: How are we aligning as one international team and setting our customer more in the center?
After inspirational words from Alberto about the Focus strategy and the potential he sees in the commercial team, Michael Eckelsberger set clear targets for his team and one ambition goal for 2030: 40% market share. Colin Denman’s presentation of the vision of Customer Service was a perfect addition to the customer centricity. Through scene-setting discussions and expectation alignment, participants developed a shared understanding of the challenges ahead and the opportunities waiting to be unlocked. In smaller breakout groups, colleagues openly debated improvement areas and identified concrete actions to elevate performance. A series of workshops offered deep dives into strategically relevant topics like Modular, Commercial Playbook, Team Culture, Military, Competitor Intelligence or Market Intelligence.
What connected all sessions was a clear thread: our commitment to our overall goal of moving our customers forward.
Over these two energizing days, we kicked off our Connect phase with a renewed sense of unity and momentum. By working side by side, not only across all markets, but also with all stakeholders within VTG, we built stronger relationships, uncovered new possibilities, and fostered a shared dedication to shaping the future we’re building together
Day 2 – Living Our Values
If Day 1 was about strategy, team and momentum, Day 2 was about connecting with the stakeholders of daily business under the roof of our values of collaboration and ownership.
Joined by colleagues from Innovation, Legal, traigo, Corporate Communications Customer Service, Technical Support and Procurement the day focused on building stronger cross-functional partnerships. The message was clear: only when we collaborate seamlessly across the organization can we provide simple, effective and innovative solutions that truly serve our customers.
These workshops encouraged honest conversations about expectations, challenges, and opportunities. More than an agenda or a set of workshops, Kick-Off brought to life what defines us as a team: curiosity, ambition and a shared belief that we can make a real difference for our customers. When 80 people from across Europe come together, connect, challenge each other and build ideas collectively, something powerful happens—the path forward becomes clearer. The atmosphere of the Commercial Days was energizing and positive, reflecting not only the quality of the sessions but also the enthusiasm and commitment everyone brought into it.
The discussions Friederike and I facilitated with the sales team validated our path and sparked valuable ideas to evolve our work in Customer Service, with collaboration and ownership at the core
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