Every so often, our editorial staff selects one aftermarket industry professional to get to know a little better. Participants are asked to respond to a series of questions that can be answered in about the same amount of time you might spend chatting at the office coffee pot or waiting for an elevator. In this installment of “Five Minutes With,” we get to know Sebastian Zelger, director, LIQUI MOLY USA.
What was your first job in the industry?
I worked at Porsche in Zuffenhausen in the Exclusive & Tequipment department. They customize factory cars.
What do you like best about your current position?
The scope and the space for creativity, and managing the strong growth we experience in the USA.
Did you initially intend to pursue a career in the aftermarket? If not, what drew you to the industry and what keeps you here?
Actually I wanted to become a doctor. But then I did an internship in the automotive OE business and later on another internship in the aftermarket business. I liked the aftermarket better because it is more dynamic and you can turn your ideas into reality.
What do you do when not at work?
I go hiking, I like camping in my truck camper and I exercise at my local UFC gym.
What one word best sums up your personality?
Commitment.
What are you currently reading?
“Invisible Influence” by Jonah Berger.
If you could time-travel, to where and in what era would you want to visit?
Traveling back in time, I would visit the late medieval times with their knights and castles to see how rough life was back then and how great life is today. Traveling into the future I would visit the year 2100 to see how things will become reality that are just ideas today.
Favorite quote/mantra/motto?
There is only one thing in the long run more expensive than education: no education. – John F. Kennedy