Even the CEO of the automotive industry was forced to use their homes as business offices, including President Bugatti, Stephan Winkelmann. While the workers at Bugatti Atelier, Molsheim, are unemployed because the production of Chiron and Divo has been suspended, a large number of employees are still working, including big bosses.
Stephan Winkelmann currently manages the company from his home in Strasbourg, France. At least twice a week he goes to the headquarters in Molsheim to get information about the situation there with a small number of employees who cannot work from home, including meetings with facility managers and security staff.
"Even though now I work from home like many other employees, there is no same day during this difficult time. Thanks to digital processes and communication channels, we are still able to work and continue to develop amazing sports cars, "explained Stephan Winkelmann.
Then, what is exactly like everyday work from home for the president of a Bugatti?
07:00
The day starts early for Winkelmann. At 7 am he wakes up, has a light breakfast while pursuing the national and international news of the day which focuses on political and business topics.
8:30
Then he read his e-mail and began his first Skype meeting with the Comité de Direction, the expanded Executive Board. "At present, we talk to the Bugatti senior management team every morning, so everyone is aware of the current situation in the company and how each of them is related to health, including our business partners," Stephan Winkelmann said. Discussions usually involve an analysis of the latest global developments and how companies should react to them.
10:00 a.m.
Hold a conference call that is followed by various departments such as Development, Sales, Design and Marketing. This discussion mainly involves development and design.
12:00
This is when Stephan Winkelmann had lunch, watched the news on TV and read e-mail. 14:00
Hold a telephone conference, followed by the Comité de Produit, product committee, regarding current and future product development. "For me, these are some of the most interesting meetings because they provide a glimpse of information about all the strength and creativity in our company. Sometimes, the situation can heat up a little. However, based on my experience, it is precisely this type of friction that leads to the best results, "said Winkelmann. After that, he re-read the new email.
19:00
Now it's time to do some personal activities, like fitness. "Because I can't currently work out in the gym or in the pool, I run for an hour in the afternoon and share it with some exercises. This activity improves my endurance and health. I really enjoyed it and gave me time to review the day without a smartphone or computer. This period also recharged my battery, "explained the executive.
21:00
This time is reserved for personal telephone calls, including with his mother who lives in southern Germany and friends from all over the world. 22:00
The day ends with a reading session. "For me, the only benefit of lockdown is that I have more time to read at night. I usually read two books in parallel, one fiction and one non-fiction, "said Winkelmann.