Markus Wagner

I've been with the company since the beginning of 2012. Back then, a friend from university who worked for another company in the TÜV NORD Group drew my attention to TÜVIT. I then applied for an advertised position and was invited to an interview. It turned out that my profile was much better suited to a different position in a different department and then everything happened very quickly and I started my new job.

For various reasons. Firstly, I find the tasks very exciting and varied. You are constantly getting to know new products and customers and can take a look behind the scenes of well-known companies, some of which are really big brands. You always learn a lot about the products, as we have an insight into the source code. You also have many design options and can develop new topics. As a result, the work never gets boring. On the other hand, the atmosphere and mood among my colleagues is certainly one of the reasons why I've been with the company for so long. I think it's this overall package that I really like.

I studied business informatics and previously trained as an application developer at an anti-virus programme manufacturer. My tasks have naturally evolved over the last 10 years: Initially, I mainly tested software products. From 2016, I also took over project management and led the project team. I have held the position of Product Manager since 2020. The main tasks of a product manager include managing the entire software team from a technical perspective, planning resources, supporting sales, e.g. in acquiring new customers or developing new business areas. Over the years, my tasks have therefore evolved from purely technical testing to more strategic and organisational issues.

I usually start my work with a daily and weekly schedule and look at what's coming up that week, e.g. what meetings or projects there are and how time-critical the individual appointments are. I also look at what needs there are in my team. As part of managing larger projects, I also attend appointments with customers. Otherwise, I often work in the office - either on site in Essen or in my home office.

It motivates me to always be at the cutting edge of technology. IT security is a cross-cutting issue, which means you always get the latest products on the table that aren't even on the market yet. This allows you to advance many topics. I often notice this in everyday life, for example when I discover readers for the health card or the connectors in a doctor's surgery, can read my private electricity consumption on my smart meter gateway in the basement or use a programme on my computer. All of this is only possible because my team and I have tested these products beforehand. We test an incredibly broad portfolio of products and can therefore help shape technological progress in many areas and ensure that everything is secure. It's a great feeling and motivates me to do my job.

I can think of two projects, one of which I'm not allowed to say much about. But what I can say is that it was something on a secret service level, where normal citizens wouldn't get any information. That's exciting, of course.

The other was a new customer acquisition for our client VMWare. I remember getting on a plane with a colleague to visit VMWare in Sillicon Valley. We had a two-day appointment there and flew back to Germany with an order in our pockets. During the project, we worked very closely with the customer to achieve Common Criteria certification for 2 VMWare products. They were aiming for a very high level (EAL 4), which made the whole thing particularly interesting.

As a father, family activities are a big part of my leisure time. I like to go to various children's events with my children and my wife or go on family bike tours. We just recently went on a cruise in Norway. There were lots of new things to discover for my wife and I as well as for our children. I also enjoy playing tennis in my free time.

Most of the time, yes. There are always moments when it's a bit more stressful, but I've developed routines for myself to balance things out. The working conditions allow me to achieve this balance. I often have the opportunity to work from home and use my own study here exclusively for work. This means that when I leave the room, the work stays there.