A conversation with Luisa Martens, Chief Marketing Officer at Blickfeld
As Chief of Marketing (CMO), Luisa Martens has been in charge of marketing and product management at Blickfeld since January 2023. In this chat, she tells us about her plans for her teams, shares one of her most valuable learnings, and her favorite tradition at Blickfeld.
Can you tell us about yourself and your career so far?
After completing my master’s degree in corporate communications, I worked for a B2B full-service agency. The focus was on developing 360-degree communication concepts for customers, especially from the tech industry. In 2018, I joined Blickfeld as the 14th employee and built up the marketing and communications department. Over the last five years, the team has grown steadily, and I took over first as Team Lead and then as Head of Marketing.
What is your role at Blickfeld? What experience do you bring into your new role?
In my new role as CMO, I am responsible for marketing and communications as well as product management across all our offices. The main focus is on the development and implementation of the marketing and product strategy in line with the corporate strategy. In addition to seven years of experience in marketing and communications for B2B companies, I have a lot of Blickfeld and customer knowledge. On the one hand, I know the processes and links within the company. On the other hand, I have met many customers and interested parties over the years, for example, at trade fairs, so I am familiar with their challenges. Thus, I know which advantages our technology brings them and how to communicate them.
What are your plans for Marketing and Product Management?
With regard to marketing, the aim is to further expand the brand recognition of Blickfeld in our new markets, the USA and China, and to support the branches in establishing their operations and deepening market-specific (industry) knowledge. For product management, the main focus is on creating an attractive product portfolio. The successful market launch of our Qb2, the world’s first smart LiDAR, plays an important role in this. In recent years, we have been able to build up extensive customer and industry knowledge, which we will use further to sharpen our solutions in the future.
You have already experienced a lot with and at Blickfeld. What makes Blickfeld and working here special for you?
Blickfeld is a very dynamic start-up where a lot is changing. When I became part of the team, the sensor technology was still in the development phase; now, we are a company with several offices selling products and software solutions to customers worldwide. Accordingly, the activities were and are always very varied, which I enjoy a lot. In addition, there is a very friendly, helpful, and constructive work culture, which is an important part of Blickfeld for me.
What has been the most exciting thing you’ve experienced at Blickfeld so far?
There have been many exciting moments at Blickfeld over the years, but for me personally, the most impressive one was probably the pitch for the Horizon2020 funding program to the European Commission in Brussels. The visit itself was already a great experience, but the joy was even greater when we learned that we had received the funding for the development of our 3D LiDAR sensor.
Which Blickfeld value is most important to you?
The most important value for me is that mistakes are okay, and this is also practiced actively. It gives us great freedom to test things and to be flexible, which ultimately allows us to work faster and more independently.
What is your favorite tradition at Blickfeld?
The Friday evening beer together in the kitchen.
Describe your team at Blickfeld in three words.
Creative, independent, fun.
What is your most valuable learning from the past few years?
Working with the many engineers at Blickfeld, I have learned to think and act in a more solution-oriented way. It’s not just about understanding problems but also about thinking ahead and looking for the fastest, most effective solution.
What was the last book you read?
When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà – a poetic novel featuring individual stories from different perspectives in the Spanish Pyrenees – great recommendation!
