"Our employees form ILLIES' very core and driving force."

C. Michael Illies - President & CEO

ILLIES – working with leading technology providers

With over 160 years of corporate history and a track record in working with industry leaders in Europe and Asia, ILLIES is the partner of choice when it comes to innovative technology marketing and the implementation of industrial investment projects. We are on top on cutting-edge technologies and the latest developments in Asia and abroad. Our customers value our reliable performance, our reputation, and our loyalty.

At ILLIES, we recognize our staff as our most valuable asset. Our team spirit and our values form the core of our ILLIES corporate family. We merge the best of Asia and Europe to form a unique and highly effective multinational organization.

ILLIES’ presence covers six countries and 12 locations across Asia. The corporate office in Hamburg, Germany, provides effective support, logistics, financing and technical expertise to our teams all over Asia. Our mission is to make every partnership a success. We connect time zones and diverse mentalities just as readily as complex technical issues. To us, a challenge is just another task.

We are constantly hiring qualified technical and talented sales professionals. Contact us today to learn more about our present openings, details of career prospects, and benefits!

Please send your application and CV to career(at)illies.com.


Why ILLIES?

  • A stable company with 160-year track record
  • Family-owned and managed by the fifth generation
  • Strong presence in Asia’s fast growing metropolitan cities and growth hubs
  • Involvement in cutting-edge technologies
  • Working with industry leaders across Asia and Europe
  • International job environment
  • Team-oriented work culture
  • Good career prospects and attractive remuneration packages

GALLERY - WORKING AT ILLIES - IMPRESSIONS FROM HAMBURG AND TOKYO


Meet the ILLIES team members

Some examples of possible career opportunities at ILLIES are presented here through team members’ testimonials.

I studied Business Administration with majors in Finance at the HSBA. After my bachelor degree 2007 I stayed at my training company C. ILLIES & CO. First I worked at the Controlling Department, later for the division Plant Engineering in CIS countries. Since 2011 I am branch manager in Vietnam, leading the bureaus in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which is a pretty exciting challenge!

The HSBA and the concept of the dual curriculum taught me to handle different tasks and exams simultaneously. Most important for me was not necessarily what you learn, but how efficiently you learn. The methods and soft skills I acquired during my studies are still valid today, as assertiveness and intercultural understanding are needed daily in international trading.

For several years now I have been working in the job of my dreams. Since my eighteenth birthday I wanted to work abroad. And I constantly pursued this dream without getting impatient.

In my opinion it is important to set yourself goals and continually work on achieving them.
At this point the selection of the joint venture is particularly important. An owner-managed family business focused on Asian markets was very helpful for my career.

It is difficult to identify a highlight out of all those journeys, crazy everyday things in Vietnam and interesting characters I meet, but the encounter with Angela Merkel and Gerhard Schröder is definitely one!

What time means for me? Time is a precious commodity. I often hear the statement, there is a lack of time for certain activities. In truth you simply do not take it. My job absorbs a lot of time but I spent my leisure time with my wife and my two sons. This compensation is very important to me.

 

 

Expatriate at ILLIES – feeling at home in Asia

For more than 16 years ILLIES has been my first and only employer. That sounds unusual today, but my areas of responsibility in Hamburg and China have always been very diverse and exciting.

When I started my HSBA studies at ILLIES I had no explicit intention to live in Asia but I quickly realized how exciting it can be to work in an international environment, especially in the dynamic region of Asia. When I received the offer to work in China, I did not hesitate to accept it. I saw it as a unique opportunity and possibility for personal growth.

A relocation to China brings along many new things - including uncertainties. I was especially supported by many of my colleagues, who went abroad for ILLIES and shared their experiences. There was always somebody to help me with advice and guidance. During my first years in China, the employees in Guangzhou became my second family. This team made it possible for me to have a really good start abroad and still today we are together through thick and thin.

 

"During my first years in China, the employees in Guangzhou became my second family. The team there gave me a really good start abroad and still today we are together through thick and thin."

 

In my current leadership position, this is exactly what I am trying to exemplify: Being approachable and supportive for my team members. Pointing out alternatives and additional thoughts. This is a reflection of our daily work at ILLIES. We are not manufacturing, we are a "People Business". We bring together our customers and suppliers. Our aim has always been to build a long-term partnership which is successful for all parties involved. This means we are not only looking for the right technical and commercial solution, but we are acting at eye-level.

Notwithstanding the team cooperation, I am always expected to act independently. I am accountable for my actions. My work in China requires me to deal with many topics simultaneously. This demands well-structured procedures and the ability to prioritize at short notice. Flexibility is indispensable. However, the fact that not one day is like the next, is what really makes this job so exciting.

 

"My work in China requires me to deal with many topics simultaneously. This demands well-structured procedures and the ability to prioritize at short notice. Flexibility is indispensable. However, the fact that not one day is like the next is what really makes this job so exciting"

 

To a certain extent, life as an expatriate means letting go of the family in Germany - even if today's technical possibilities simplify contact. Looking back, I can say that the step to go abroad with and for ILLIES was just right for me personally. Together with my wife and daughter, I am looking forward to many more years here in Asia.

 

Brief profile of Kristopher Rodenbusch

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in business administration, Kristopher Rodenbusch joined the "Machines Industrial" department in 2005. He served the markets of Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Russia, India, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates for the portfolio "Special Machines for Rubber and Plastics Processing Industries" and for trade fair and project support, he travelled mainly to China, Russia and Germany.

At the beginning of 2008, he was transferred to the "Textile Machinery" department to support the portfolio of the manufacturer Karl Mayer in China. As preparation for being delegated to Asia, he was already temporarily taking on tasks as Sales Manager in China and moved to Guangzhou in 2009. During this time, he extra-professionally acquired a degree as “Diplom Kaufmann FH”. Since 2013, he is General Manager at ILLIES China in Shanghai and since 2016 Executive Vice President Sales, Business Unit "Textile Technology". He lives with his wife and daughter in Shanghai, the city he calls his home.