Luca Boni has been with hubergroup since 2009. Born in Milan, he began his career as a Customer Service employee in the Offset division of the fashion capital, before transitioning to field sales, where he quickly assumed responsibility for all of Italy. In 2015, Greece was added to his portfolio, followed by Turkey in 2021. Since July, he has served as Head of Business Development Europe, where he focuses on supporting sales teams in developing new business and nurturing existing relationships.

Burak Sezerel is the Sales and Marketing Director at hubergroup Turkey and a key member of the Print Solutions and Chemicals teams. In the Print Solutions business unit, they work closely with Luca. He began his career at hubergroup in 2020, just before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Before that, he held various roles in the packaging industry for over 15 years. The world of hubergroup, with its focus on colors and especially chemicals, was familiar to him as a consumer in the packaging industry. However, it was his first time managing a team responsible for marketing and selling these products. Burak started as the Sales and Marketing Manager for Offset, quickly mastering the business, and now oversees the Chemicals division as well as, in collaboration with Luca, the overall operations in Turkey.

“We share a similar approach to business, customers, and numbers,” Burak explains. “We're both data-driven and aligned in our thinking. At the end of the day, we're businessmen focused on results. That's what unites us,” adds Luca. “Less emotion, more facts,” they both agree, almost in unison.

Burak’s home country, Turkey, is a key market for packaging, with annual growth of around six percent. The potential for chemicals, particularly around the Bosporus, is even greater. “We're still at the starting line here,” he notes. Luca and Burak regularly exchange insights on this topic.

The first joint project they recall was the restructuring of hubergroup's distributors in the region. The goal was to increase efficiency in distributor management without compromising turnover or profit. “We started with Italy,” Luca explains, “developed a clear strategy, and then implemented it step by step in Turkey and Greece. This allowed us to streamline logistics and realize significant benefits, particularly in account and credit management.”

Even when the coronavirus pandemic impacted business in the region, they joined forces to successfully navigate the challenges. „I think there are some cultural differences between the regions,“ Burak states. “But not so much between Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Spain, or Italy – they all share a very Mediterranean spirit,” Luca agrees.

When hubergroup faced rising raw material prices and transportation costs due to the pandemic, they exchanged information more frequently than ever. It was crucial for them to coordinate the next steps and determine how best to communicate these changes to their customers.

“Many large companies make the mistake of simply sending an email to customers, saying: “Hey, we’re facing higher costs that we need to pass on to you,” Burak explains. “In my market, that would likely alienate customers. Especially with critical issues, it’s important to be present, meet with customers in person over tea or coffee, and engage in a direct conversation.”

Price negotiations are another area where countries like Turkey, Italy, Germany, and Scandinavia differ significantly. “In my experience, Greeks, for example, go through every single point in detail, much like we do in Italy,” Luca explains. “That can be quite unfamiliar for someone from other regions.” Both agree that personal conversations are crucial in such situations. In fact, sometimes it's essential for the boss to step in and 'do the honors' personally. “That carries a lot of weight in the Mediterranean region,” Burak adds.

Additionally, many customers in Southern Europe operate in multiple countries, such as Turkey and Greece, or even Germany and Turkey. “Our close and regular communication enables us to leverage insights from individual markets across different locations,“ Luca points out. It's not unusual for customers to switch regions and reconnect with us in a different setting. “We’ve often known the key players for many years,” he adds.

“One of the few positives the pandemic has left behind is our ability to communicate effortlessly across borders,” Luca comments. “We save time and travel costs, exchange information more quickly through digital channels, and gain a comprehensive view of the entire region.” Burak agrees, adding, “Our way of working has fundamentally changed since 2020. New dynamics have emerged – much is now digital, which means some days are less stressful, but others can reach entirely new levels.”

Professionally, the two are on the same wavelength – and their personal lives have many parallels as well. Both fathers with children of similar ages, they face comparable challenges. “We often talk about our kids, sharing similar experiences and offering each other – only the most helpful – advice,” Burak says with a wink. Luca adds, “It’s important for both of us to stay aligned not just in business, but in life as well. That’s why personal topics often come up in our meetings, and despite cultural differences, we find that many of our challenges are surprisingly alike.”

Luca offers some general advice: “I can only encourage everyone to move beyond silo thinking and engage in activities that broaden their horizons. Multinational companies like hubergroup provide excellent opportunities for both professional and personal growth.” He continues, “The challenges are quite similar across countries.” Burak continues, “However, the way we approach them can differ significantly.” Both hope for even more collaboration between the various locations and the headquarters in Germany in the future. “That way, we can better support our local customers and continue driving the business forward,” they agree.