Anna Heinendirk
Director
Marketing Strategy & Business Development
Anna Heinendirk has always had a love for beautiful cars, even as a young girl. After completing her studies in economics, she joined a consulting firm in Germany specializing in automotive strategy and marketing. It was there that she gained experience in the automotive industry while working with big German OEMs and her interest in the industry deepened.
“I find the industry very fascinating because of the complexity of the market, the products and the supply chain structure that is required to succeed,” says Heinendirk. After four years of consulting, Heinendirk joined the global strategy team at Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket in Germany. She’s now director, Marketing, Strategy & Business Development Automotive Aftermarket Schaeffler USA Inc., and has been with the company overall since 2016.
Looking back at her career thus far, Heinendirk says she’s most proud of the positive feedback she gets from colleagues and her team. “I think when you’re in a leadership position, you’re only as good as your team, right? I’m very proud of my team,” she says. “Everyone brings different strengths, cultural backgrounds and ideas, and we are really able to rely on each other. Without them, and also the Schaeffler leadership team believing in me, I would not be where I am.”
Humility is key, but stay wise, she says: “Stay kind and humble, but at the same time, set your boundaries and don’t compromise your principles.”