Leadership starts with authenticity – G+D Trailblazers

What defines great leadership today?

Monika Speckmaier, Global Vice President and Head of Strategic Business Segment Central Banks/Printworks, G+D:
It means inspiring with a clear vision, setting ambitious goals, and empowering teams through trust and psychological safety. It’s about being a coach rather than a commander – fostering growth, inclusion, and open dialogue. Leaders must act decisively and pragmatically, while encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset. And, above all, authenticity and continuous learning are key to earning trust and driving sustainable success.

Matthias Gukelberger, Global Vice President, Head of Strategic Business Segment Service, Currency Technology, G+D:
Great leadership is about clarity of accountability, transparency in communication, and a deep commitment to enabling and empowering every individual in the team.

Jella Meer, Chief Compliance & Human Rights Officer, Currency Technology and A52, G+D:
In a nutshell, the best leaders are able to create high performance teams, empower employees, and drive strategy forward with vision and enthusiasm.

Yngrid J. Navarro de Rühs, Global Vice President, Region Europe/Latin America, Currency Management Solutions, G+D:
Leadership starts with authenticity, with being true to yourself, blending warmth and decisiveness. Emotional intelligence – encompassing empathy, active listening, and understanding diverse perspectives – is critical, especially in global business contexts. One must foster trust by showing vulnerability but without compromising authority, creating safe spaces for teams to innovate and speak up. 

Being a leader with customer-centricity also means placing the customer at the core of every decision. So, whenever we are considering a strategy, it is worth asking, “What would I think as a customer if G+D offers me this or tells me that?” 

David Weinberg, Head of Portfolio Management for IoT Solutions, G+D:
For me, leadership today is as much about leading yourself as leading others. My personal leadership compass is based on the principle of “extreme ownership”:

• No excuses: blaming others just blocks learning and growth.
• Prioritize and execute: focus on what truly matters and drive it relentlessly.
• Decentralize: empowering colleagues leads to better, faster outcomes,
• Full responsibility: leaders own both successes and failures; true ownership builds trust and resilience.

Miguel Inguanzo, R&D Team Lead and Product Owner, Mobile Security, G+D:
I define great leadership as the ability to provide guidance and inspiration while creating an environment grounded in trust and collaboration. In that kind of environment, people feel valued, capable, and empowered to face challenges autonomously, even when these challenges are significantly complex. 

The key to sustainable success and continuous growth is empathic, open, and honest communication, active listening, and a genuine commitment to developing and mentoring people. It is vital that teams feel supported during times of uncertainty, and when failure happens it is accepted and viewed as an opportunity to learn.

What is the most amazing aspect in your area of work?

Monika Speckmaier:
What I find most amazing of all is how our people, such as our currency technology team, consistently combine cutting-edge technologies for banknotes – something that creates real-world impact. These holistic cash-cycle solutions – from high-speed banknote processing to huge infrastructure projects and data-driven insights – ensure trust, efficiency, and resilience. I’m inspired by our competent, international teams, where fast decision-making drives innovation. 

Willis Morettin, President and Managing Director, G+D in Canada:
For me, it’s about colleagues: the diversity of our people, coupled with their ability to collaborate and deliver for our customers.

Fabian Berk, Head of Group AI Program, G+D:
In driving AI adoption, it is great to see how enthusiastic people are about adopting these new tools and technologies. Our GenAI community of practice has around 1,000 members and we regularly exchange best practices – and the pitfalls – as part of the ongoing AI transformation. 

Alex Gatiragas, Head of Solution Experience at G+D Netcetera:
The most impactful element for me is to have the opportunity that G+D provides to spend time being creative in order to come up with ideas for solutions to meet our customers’ key challenges.

Claudio Sgarlata, Global VP, Head of MEA Region, Managing Director for Middle East and Africa, G+D:
It is always amazing to witness the synergy between local expertise and global experience in projects such as those G+D has undertaken in Egypt and Angola . They showcase our teams’ exceptional ability to deliver complex solutions tailored to the specific needs of global regions. Additionally, the cultural diversity within our Middle East and Africa offices, with over fifty nationalities working together toward shared goals, highlights the strength of our collaborative spirit.

Raquel de Horna, Product & Marketing Lead – Digital Identity, G+D:
In our Corporate Technology Office, we have a global overview of what is going on technologically. These are experts whose job it is to be up to date on every new tech trend that might impact our business and our customers’ activities. 

Janarthanan Sivaprakash, Operations Director, G+D in India:
The most amazing part of our work is the people themselves. It is extraordinary to witness how the human brilliance blends with the technology to deliver quality products. What makes us special: mindset and culture. Quality is our mindset, and productivity our culture. Through the combination of technology and human efforts, we strive to keep this mindset and culture a backbone of our entire process. And we celebrate innovation. Every team member can be an innovator – in fact, most of our best improvements come from “the wisdom of the shopfloor.” 

What is the biggest item you’ve crossed off your achievements list for this year?

Sachin Arora, Division Head Connectivity & IoT – Mobile Security, G+D in India:
In 2025, I crossed off a long-held professional milestone, leading a strategic, cross-functional initiative from concept to execution. The initiative required aligning diverse teams, navigating decision-making, and keeping a strong focus on outcomes that align with our long-term goals. Seeing it come to life has been incredibly rewarding, both for the value it delivers to G+D and for my own growth as a strategic leader.

Raquel de Horna:
I have worked on innovation projects for many years with the chance to develop products from a “cool idea” to a working demo. But this year is the first time that one of these innovations will actually be tested in a customer environment with a real-life use case. I am very excited because it has plenty of business potential. 

How important is it for the employees of a company with locations worldwide to be aware of local sensibilities?

Yngrid J. Navarro de Rühs:
Addressing local sensibilities is both a critical skill and a strategic necessity. You must develop cultural intelligence and localize decision-making through active listening and engagement. This is the only way to achieve employee and customer trust, loyalty, and engagement. It even goes as far as being part of brand reputation. But most important, truly connecting with people opens up success for everyone.

Miguel Inguanzo:
It’s extremely important. Cultural norms, communication styles, and business expectations can hugely change from one location to another, and being sensitive to those differences builds trust and respect. This awareness not only helps avoid misunderstandings, but also strengthens collaboration and supports a more inclusive and effective global work environment.

Annette Baumeister, Director, Head of Master Data Services and interim Head of Business Intelligence Center, G+D:
The better you understand different cultures, the easier – and more interesting – it is to work together and avoid any misunderstandings. Be open and you can learn a lot, including about yourself.

Rüdiger Vogt, Head Center of Excellence Sales, G+D Netcetera:
In my view, people tend to underestimate both cultural differences and commonalities. We need to be aware of local sensibilities to achieve the best results and at the same time appreciate how fortunate we are to benefit from an inspiring cultural diversity at G+D.

David Weinberg:
Just in the last three months, I traveled from Brazil to China – and each culture works differently. Without an understanding of local norms and nuances, it’s almost impossible to empower teams globally in a meaningful way. One small example: in China, crossing your two index fingers to form a cross signal “10 minutes,” while in Germany, the same gesture can imply “you’re the devil.” Misunderstandings like this can derail conversations if you’re not aware. So, cultural awareness isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s a core leadership skill.

How important is it to occasionally step outside of one’s role and comfort zone – to spend time engaging with completely different teams or departments?

Rüdiger Vogt:
I draw some of my greatest inspiration from discussions with G+D test engineers, legal experts, HR representatives, marcom professionals, and more. I am amazed by the degree of focus many of these “non-sales” colleagues have on our clients. We often discuss new ideas for generating business, for enhancing our brand, and on how to become even more client centric. 

Alex Gatiragas:
It is very important to understand how our collective roles all contribute to the same end goals. Having an appreciation of the efforts for different roles such as sales and marketing is great for understanding how we get our products in the hands of our customers and providing the knowledge of how we can continue to innovate and develop products that our customers will love.

David Weinberg:
In my leadership role, I consistently encourage my team to leave their comfort zones whenever possible. Engaging with other functions, business lines, and divisions isn’t optional – it’s essential. It broadens perspectives, sparks creativity, and sharpens key skills like prioritization, execution, and true ownership. The more you engage outside your silo, the stronger your contributions become.

Sachin Arora:
Silos are a thing of the past; real impact happens in the overlaps. Whether you’re in sales, finance, tech, or operations, stepping into another domain builds empathy, drives innovation, and broadens one’s leadership bandwidth. Personally, I’ve gained more actionable insights in informal cross-functional sessions than in structured review meetings. Crucially, it also enhances agility, a core requirement in today’s volatile business landscape.

What’s the single best thing you’ve experienced at G+D this year?

Claudio Sgarlata:
A particularly memorable moment for me was the inauguration of the National Bank of Angola’s Casa do Kwanza , its state-of-the-art cash center. G+D designed, supplied, and managed the implementation of the central infrastructure project, which not only shows our commitment to improving financial inclusion, but also demonstrates our role in supporting Angola’s economic growth. It also shows how building trust with customers creates new opportunities to present complex solutions that address critical operational challenges, while preparing central banks for the future. 

Fabian Berk:
A personal highlight was the first G+D Promptathon, an interactive event involving more than 100 motivated colleagues from across the Group, where were diving into Prompting techniques and GenAI use cases for the workplace. I truly believe that collaboration and life-long learning are going to be the winning factors in the AI transformation journey, and that was reflected in the spirit in the room and the resulting use cases that can be applied every day.

Thinking back to the start of your G+D journey: what were you told that stayed with you and that you’d want to pass on to someone just joining?

Claudio Sgarlata:
I was advised that a commitment to continuous feedback and learning, adaptability, and dedication – including a willingness to make sacrifices – were essential for success. I share this message with all new team members, stressing that the environment we operate in is constantly changing, and we must evolve along with it.

Annette Baumeister:
When I started at G+D, I found the working atmosphere to be very human-centric and the working methods to be very professional. Having a great boss at the time who was really good at both of these – that had a big impact on me. Today – 16 years later – as a manager, I try to live by these same principles.

Fabian Berk:
Take action! From when I started at G+D, I was encouraged to question things and take the initiative to change the status quo where needed. At G+D, we have a collaborative mindset, and people are open to working together for the company’s success.

Sachin Arora:
“Be proactive in seeking clarity and relentless in delivering value.” These words from my early days have stuck with me because they strike the right balance between humility and ownership. G+D has a culture that values initiative: if you take charge, ask the right questions, and act with intent, opportunities will come your way. I often tell new team members, “Don’t wait to be asked; create value, and it will be recognized.”

Raquel de Horna:
I was told by my excellent manager, “Keep your essence, don’t let the mentality of ‘that’s-the-way-things-have-always-been-done-here’ change you.” He helped me realize that a key part of my value propositions as a G+D employee was the fact that I always felt like a maverick.

Bee Gek Lim, Head of Business Line Digital Offerings, G+D Mobile Security Germany:
There are a few pieces of sound advice that I have accumulated over the years. One of them is not to be shy to admit that you are struggling with something. It is better to acknowledge, get guidance, and move forward instead of getting stuck. Another key learning is that when something like a project seems huge, break it down to smaller pieces and work through it. You will then see progress that way.

Janarthanan Sivaprakash: 
A wisdom that reshaped my career is “Don’t just climb the ladder – build a foundation wider than your height.” At the time, I didn’t grasp how deep this philosophy would become. Now, as a leader, it’s the advice I’m most passionate about passing on. 

Early on, I was lucky enough to be exposed to different business streams – client services, supply chain, warehouse, logistics, and more. I realized that any future leadership role would require the ability to speak the language of each of these departments. I spent focused hours learning the basics of each, developing close interactions with the people on ground, and asking questions of technical leaders. This “horizontal expertise” has helped me to bridge silos, hopefully spot hidden risks, and earn a degree of credibility. 

What has been your “greatest G+D moment”?

Sachin Arora:
A real highlight was being part of the G+D global team that developed and successfully rolled out a major sustainable solution. It wasn’t just a technical achievement, it was a true collaboration across geographies, time zones, and business units. The product is now being used to empower society in building secure, inclusive digital ecosystems. Seeing how it’s making a positive impact on people’s lives reminds me why our work matters, and we should feel proud of it.

Jella Meer:
When I first joined G+D (with a 10-month-old baby at home), a critical element for me was the trust and encouragement I received from my boss. Essentially, “You can do it.” By coaching and challenging me, it gave me the wings to fly.

This article is the latest in our series of Q&As with G+D’s senior executives. See also Female leaders at G+D celebrate International Women’s Day.

Published: 03/02/2026