About Ulrich Dopfer
Ulrich Dopfer, Vice President of Finance & Administration Planning at Adtran Holdings, has commented on the company's financial performance and market position in recent interviews. In 2020, Dopfer stated that the company expected revenue of 580 million euros or more and a further increase in profitability of five percent or more. He noted that the company was shifting production out of China to avoid tariffs, a relocation he said should be completed by mid-second quarter. Dopfer described Adtran as "one of the few remaining European players focusing completely on the optical industry" and advised investors to invest despite stock price drops, attributing the company's products as foundational for future technologies like autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
In earlier comments from 2016 and 2017, Dopfer characterized 2016 as a year of "mixed feelings" due to strong revenue growth of 28 percent but a sharp fall in operating results, which he attributed to one-time costs from an acquisition and restructuring. He expressed optimism for 2017, stating that while growth would be weaker than 2016, the company expected "extremely strong profitability." Dopfer identified cloud and mobility as major growth drivers and said the company was "running on all cylinders" with a broad base of growth across all customer groups and products. He also noted that the company was actively scouting for potential acquisitions but provided no specific updates on that front.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Ulrich Dopfer's recent appearances.
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Transcript (11 segments)
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Interviewer0:05
Welcome to a shareholder TV interview. ADVA Optical has presented its figures for the 2016 fiscal year, and I'd like to discuss them with Ulrich Dopfer. Good day to you, Mr. Dopfer. Revenue increased significantly in 2016, while operating profit fell sharply. What headline would you give to the year 2016?
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Ulrich Dopfer0:27
Good morning. Mixed feelings. Strong growth on the revenue side, 28 percent compared to the previous year, after already growing 30 percent in 2015. But the earnings were somewhat clouded by various reasons: we had an acquisition at the beginning of the year with one-time costs and restructuring expenses, and the strong US dollar also dampened our spirits in the second half. Still, we are satisfied; the joy over the strong growth outweighs the slightly impacted earnings.
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Interviewer1:17
You already mentioned the acquisition of Overture. Do you plan further acquisitions, or do you want to focus on organic growth?
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Ulrich Dopfer1:24
As a technology company, we will never stop looking for new technologies, new talent, and new creativity. We will always check if there are products, people, or customers we can acquire. We have a small team constantly traveling around the world to explore new technologies. So, we will never stop being active on that front.
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Interviewer1:57
Growth drivers were cloud and mobility. Will these remain the big themes?
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Ulrich Dopfer2:08
You can count on that. I read an interview with Tim Cook yesterday, and he made a very interesting comment about smartphones. There are currently 14 billion smartphones on earth, and if everyone eventually has one, just think about what happens with cloud and mobility. Additionally, everyone is talking about Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things. Devices are now communicating not only with people but with each other. So, cloud and mobility will remain major themes.
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Interviewer2:59
For the first quarter, we expect revenues between 135 and 145 million euros. How satisfied are you with the development in 2017 so far?
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Ulrich Dopfer3:09
Considering we expect strong growth again of about 15 percent year-on-year and 10 percent quarter-on-quarter, traditionally the first quarter is weaker. Given our past performance, this is very positive and optimistic. We don't provide full-year guidance, only for the coming quarter, but given the market growth of 7 to 13 percent depending on the segment, our goal is always to grow faster than the market.
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Interviewer3:58
One final question: what would you say to shareholders or investors considering getting in? What does ADVA stand for on the stock exchange, and what can investors expect?
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Ulrich Dopfer4:10
Many analysts and media say we are undervalued. We are the only remaining European manufacturer in the optical segment, but also a global company strongly represented in the US, Asia, and worldwide. We have 800 employees, strong innovation capacity despite our size, and have grown nearly 30 percent for two consecutive years. We have many new and exciting products in our pipeline. I would advise looking at the stock closely, and hopefully... Thank you for the interview, and all the best for the future.
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Interviewer5:08
Thank you. That was the CFO of ADVA Optical, Ulrich Dopfer, on the annual results presented today and the outlook for the future. See you next time. Take care.
