Tropicana Jul-Aug 2018 #119 Hot Stuff

DOMINIK FRUTH
When Dominik Fruth made his way to his new
home in Southeast Asia as a teen, little did he
expect a major turnaround in his life, one that
till today, has led to his resounding success as
General Director of Häfele Vietnam, Singapore
and Malaysia. Häfele offers inspirational
kitchen solutions for the family, couple and
single person, encompassing a wide range of
products for storage, cleaning, preparation and
cooking in the kitchen as well as ideas for the living area and
dream wardrobe.
“ My parents, who were teachers, decided to come to Asia for a
holiday,” he says. “ They loved it and decided that they’d live here
some day. So, when the German School in Singapore was looking
for teachers, they applied and got the jobs.”
But Dominik never envisioned himself as being part of their
plan to uproot their lives in Germany and head to Singapore.
“ I wished my parents ‘good luck’ and was told that I would be
joining them!”
At 17, this was a big move for Dominik, who had a firm circle
of friends and an active social life; so it came as no surprise that he
was reluctant. His older sister, who had just joined the Police Force,
wasn’t expected to join the Fruth family on their Asian adventure.
The prospect of moving far away from the life he was
accustomed to was daunting at first. “ I had two sets of friends
with differing opinions,” he divulges. “ I had friends who said
‘Your parents can’t do this! You are old enough and you
don’t have to go.’ Then there was the other set of friends who said
‘What an opportunity! I wish I was in your place!’”
He adds, “ In hindsight, it did turn out to be a great opportunity.”
BUILDING A FUTURE
Being in a new country allowed the young Dominik to forge a sense
of independence. “ Back in Germany I could start earning additional
pocket money by delivering papers or working at the checkout
counter in the supermarket from as young as 11 years old. But in
Singapore that was not allowed, and I needed the extra money.
So, when apprenticeships were offered by German companies in
Singapore, I decided to check them out.”
Mind you, this wasn’t his first choice of a lifelong career. “ I
always wanted to be an air steward as a friend’s uncle was one with
Virgin Airlines. I thought it would be cool to travel the world whilst
you work.”
A career in the airlines was soon scrapped when he realised it
wasn’t all it was cut out to be. Following in his parents’ footsteps
as educators was also not on the cards.
“ I never really like school,” he laughs. “I wasn’t bad at it, but I just
didn’t like the pressure. I could remember stuff easily, but could
forget them just as easily too. Hence, a career in academics was just
not for me.”
So when the opportunity to join an apprenticeship presented
itself, Dominik was game for a change. For Häfele, it was the first
“When the opportunity
to join an apprenticeship
presented itself,
Dominik was game for
a change. For HAäfele,
it was the first time
they participated in the
apprenticeship.”
time they participated in the apprenticeship programme.
Though a German company, Dominik had not heard about the
company before.
“At the interview, I was asked if I knew about Häfele,” he recalls.
“ I said I didn’t. The interviewer whipped out these big catalogues to
show me, and that was when I realised how big a company Häfele
was. I bought into the idea of working with this company.”
After a year of apprenticeship, there was a change in management
and Dominik was offered the post of General Manager.
“ I was more mature than most of the others in the
apprenticeship programme as I had a head start in Germany, and I
was older than most in my class. I would go into class on a Monday
and get all the study instructions for the week from the teachers
and head on to work. I was travelling to Australia and New Zealand
for training.”
Coping with his studies came easily even though his time was
divided between that and work. “ I loved the work so much and
coupled with having to get the grades in, I ensured that I put in
some time into studying. Maturity and work experience as well as
a super supportive school helped with my studies too.”
There was a time when Dominik had to go to Australia for four
months and he was reluctant to tell the school. “ When I told them
I needed the time off, I thought it was going to go downhill from
there. But they gave me their blessings and lent support all the way!”
Dominik recalls the first week he started his apprenticeship,
when the shipping manager went on maternity leave and his boss
asked him to take over the shipping department. Though he didn’t
know how it worked, he stepped up to the challenge.
“ When I came back to school, everyone was comparing notes
on their apprenticeship,” he recalls. “ Some were filing documents
and some had nothing much to do and were just hanging around.
I said ‘I took over the shipping department!’ much to everyone’s
amazement. I was thankful for the opportunities that Hafele
presented though I was inexperienced, it has enabled me to learn.”
TM | JULY/AUGUST 2018
24