As a former Executive at GM and Vice President of Toyota I was impressed with the HR department at Benteler Automotive during my time as President of their North American Region. Ulli has one of the strongest Human Resources acumens of any I have worked with. Her strong foundation of ethics was vital in educating staff, employees and protecting the organization. Ulli always tasked her team, successfully, to find better methods in order to reduce ongoing costs and managed to keep health care cost increases to a minimum despite the increase throughout the industry.  One of her major focuses was on strengthening the company’s ability to develop employees at all levels through a strong talent review process. She would recognize weak areas in the company and make plans in due time to meet budget cycles to improve the situation. Ulli provided valuable advice for my team and I; I enjoyed working with her and trusted her completely.

Pat D'Eramo 
President, Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technologies , Dana Corporation



I worked for Ulli at Benteler Automotive; she was the the VP of Human Resources for North America and I was responsible for Learning and Development. I thoroughly enjoyed working for her because she not only helped me grow as a professional, but showed me how the Human Resource function can be a true business partner. Ulli was an integral member of the Senior Leadership team and helped shape the direction that the company was headed; she was viewed by her colleagues with great respect and therefore was able to push forward many strategic Human Resource initiatives and make them a priority. Ulli is a visionary who has the rare talent of taking a vision from conception to reality. She personifies continuous improvement and everyone who works with, or for her, respects her immensely. Ulli makes everyone around her a better person.

Amy Mulholland
Senior Manager, Organization & Management Development, TRW



I had the privilege of working for Ulli from 2003-2006 at Mercedes-Benz USA. She earned my respect early on in our relationship, which quickly flourished from that of manager to mentor. She does not mince words; she says what she means and means what she says. She tackles problems in an open and honest manner, with the goal of finding solutions that best fit all involved. Ulli has a genuine interest in the development of those around her and will dedicate the time and resources to enable them to succeed. Her leadership skills are second to none. I would welcome the opportunity to work with Ulli again in a heartbeat.

Dawn Sanfardino
Senior Manager, Human Resources & Business Operations 
Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America

As the Vice President of Human Resources for Benteler Automotive, Ulli was not only a respected and valued leader within the organization but was seen as a key business partner by all; her peers, her direct reports and her superiors.  She was a visionary leader and was able to lead and transform the organization into a more performance driven culture.  She valued consistency, setting priorities, business planning, doing what was right not necessarily what was easiest. Ulli exudes numerous critical leadership competencies, including business acumen, conflict management, composure, political savvy, results driven, high decision quality and intellectual horsepower.  Ulli would be a value to any organization and I have grown and developed immensely based on my time working with her.    

Suzanne Harrison
Country Deputy HR Manager, IKEA



During the time I have worked with Ulli I was facinated with the level of leadership and "out-of-the box" thinking. She would often come up with proposals / solutions to problems that no one else would think of. Unlike a lot of ideas generated by HR professionals, Ulli's proposals were taking into an account the big picture, with focus on the regional financial targets, yet understanding operational needs and issues within plants. In particular Ulli has shown an ongoing support and analytical approach during Collective Bargaining by forecasting anticipated strategies used by the Bargaining Unit.

Ilia Chliapnikov
Plant Manager, Benteler Automotive Corporation




I worked with Ulrike from 2009 through 2012 at Benteler Automotive in her position of VP of Human Resources.  During that time I held the positions of Plant Manager, Director of Manufacturing and COO.  Ulrike demonstrated the following skills during our working relationship: 
*  Strategic Thinking - demonstrated ability to create short and long term business plans to meet the goals of the business and employees. 
*  Team Building - developed the most effective team in the company through communication and goal setting. 
*  Leadership - started with hiring the right people with the right skills and setting expectations for her direct reports.  She demonstrated an ability to support her team members in goal attainment. 
*  Courage - demonstrated ability to stand up and support her position with data and facts in the face of opposition. 

Tim Lozner 
Plant Manager, Dana Corporation - Lima Operations