Chairman of the Board (CEO), HARTING Technology Group (HARTING Stiftung & Co. KG)
HARTING to Celebrate 80 Years with New Global Headquarters in Zurich | Philip Harting
As HARTING Technology Group celebrates its 80th anniversary, the company is marking this milestone with a bold transformation—relocating its global headquarters to Zurich, Switzerland. This strategic move represents HARTING’s commitment to becoming a global player in the connector and cable solutions industry.
Philip Harting, CEO of HARTING Technology Group, emphasised the importance of this shift during an exclusive conversation with Hari Shanker, Managing Editor of Machine Maker, at the HARTING Innovation Hub, Coppenrath Innovation Centre (CIC) in Osnabrück. The Zurich headquarters will ac...
About Philip Harting
Philip Harting, CEO of HARTING Technology Group, announced in February 2025 that the company is relocating its global headquarters to Zurich, Switzerland, as part of its 80th anniversary. Harting stated that the company aims to become a global player and that geopolitical developments require it to "develop absolutely locally" in regions including China, India, Southeast Asia, and North America. He noted that the company has appointed a chief sales and marketing officer from the US and that English has become the board's working language. Harting also said he has doubled the company's turnover in recent years and that his task, along with his sister, is to convey the family's values and traditions to employees outside Germany. In a 2021 tour of the HARTING stand at Hannover Messe, Harting discussed the company's focus on connectivity trends, including products for transportation, e-mobility, and industrial digitalization. He highlighted weight reduction in products as a means to lower carbon footprint, stating that "every reduced pound is bringing down the carbon footprint on the life cycle." He also described the company's offerings for high-voltage charging systems and miniaturized components for applications such as car radar and medical devices.
Transcript (6 segments)
I
Interviewer0:10
We are at Osnabrück, where Harting is holding their Innovation Hub and a press meet. Harting started today, and we have a very unexpected guest, Philip Harting. It was very nice listening to you talk about your 80th anniversary and the way Harting is transforming with a new office in Zurich, bringing new people, and adopting a more global outlook with English as the company language, which is a big decision for a German company. So, how is Harting going to take on this transformation?
P
Philip Harting0:50
Yes, one part of our vision is to become a global company. Given geopolitical developments, we must develop locally in regions like China, India, Southeast Asia, and North America. That's why we have John Deza as our first Chief Sales and Marketing Officer from the US, making English the board language. Mark Baker, our global distribution manager, is also American and will oversee global distribution. We're moving 16 managers from Germany to Switzerland and recruiting internationally from Zurich for easier access. Strategically, we aim to be a leading global company for connector and cable solutions. Almost three years ago, my family acquired Studa Cables, a Swiss company over 85 years old, with a production plant in Daun. I want to bring together HARTING's connector engineers and Studa's cable engineers to develop best-in-class solutions for energy, automotive, and infrastructure markets. That's why we chose Baden for our new headquarters. Regarding India, we have a clear focus. We started 20 years ago with a sales office in Chennai, then manufacturing, which we've enlarged twice. For the last three years, we have an Innovation Hub and an R&D center in Bangalore, also seeking IT software engineers for SAP. India is a growing and fantastic market; I love the people and culture and try to visit twice a year. We have a long-term investment strategy for India to grow business and find engineers.
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Interviewer4:26
I know I had a discussion with Jacob Chandi, your managing director for India, and he was saying that the belief in HARTING, especially your vision for building local markets, will lead to more investments from HARTING in India.
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Philip Harting4:43
Yes, absolutely, and I completely agree with Jacob. We are on the same page regarding our development and sales channels. We have a clear focus on markets like transportation, energy, and machinery, where we have decades of experience. We are employing more engineers in India to support customers, and with our R&D investments, our target is to develop local products for the local market. We are very proud of the Vande Bharat trains, and your Jumbo cables are used in them. I was at HARTING last year for the press meet and saw the Jumbo cables, and knowing they are used in these proud Indian-made train coaches is truly wonderful.
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Interviewer5:57
The last question to you. I have seen that Germans are very proud of their Mittelstand companies, family-owned companies. I was very lucky to talk to your father last time, and we weren't talking about HARTING; we were talking about biomass and how you are electrifying the villages and the entire HARTING office at Espelkamp. You are also very active on social media, and I follow you there. You talk more about people, relationships, and emotions, and that is where I believe HARTING is all about. What is the fundamental of HARTING?
P
Philip Harting6:38
The fundamental is that my parents worked for decades; my father for over 50 years and my mother for almost 35 years. I have worked for 20 years, and my sister for 17 years, showing a long tradition. We are not just shareholders but actively working and shaping the company. We bring values of trust and beliefs from the family to employees and management over generations. This is special, and as long as my sister and I work here, we are living examples of handing over traditions to the next generation, including our kids and employees. My parents internationalized the company, and in recent years, I have doubled our turnover globally, with more colleagues outside Germany. Now, my sister and I must bring these values and traditions to employees in India, Romania, China, and the US, so they know about the family and values behind it. It is unique and not anonymous; you can follow me or talk to me. Having my family name on the products is special and a differentiator. Thank you.