“4flow brings out the explorer in me”

Constantin Flehmer is a supply chain engineer at 4flow management . Nearly 6 years ago, he left DB Schenker for a job at 4flow. Before his started his new position, he took a sabbatical in South America. In this interview, he speaks about the highlights of his career so far, how he’s supporting the redesign of the 4flow office in Berlin, Germany, and how he spent his worcation with colleagues in Sicily.

What made you interested in joining 4flow?
I wanted to take a more active role and make things happen. Before I joined 4flow management, I worked at DB Schenker. During that time, I gained a lot of valuable insight into supply chain and how a large supply chain organization works. I changed companies because I wanted to take a more active role – and 4flow offered plenty of opportunities to do that. But before I started this new chapter at 4flow, I spent 9 months traveling in South America.

What did you do there?
I just went looking for adventure and freedom. At the beginning, I didn’t even know how long I’d stay and didn’t have any real plan. But shortly after I arrived at my hostel, I’d already met lots of new people and gathered a list of places I wanted to see. That was a really impactful and exciting time for me, and I have very fond memories of it.

And what are you working on now?
I recently switched to a new customer project, so there’s lots of new things for me at the moment. Originally I was in the execution team, then in planning, and now I’m in project management. I like that I’m able to keep learning in new areas – 4flow brings out the explorer in me. I’m really looking forward to this new role because I’ll be able to build a stronger network and work together with different teams across the business.

What makes 4flow unique, in your opinion?
Definitely the culture – values like diversity and flat hierarchies are put into action here. And we have a very high standard of quality. Our goal is not just growth for ourselves – we also want our customers to grow. I also appreciate that there are many opportunities to strengthen team members’ sense of belonging. For instance, I was recently involved in planning the redesign of the office in Berlin, where one of the guiding principles was to encourage collaboration.

What was your role in that project?
I helped determine which kinds of room set-ups we need for different kinds of collaboration. It was an exciting process, and I believe we’ll end up with a very usable office. At the same time, I also enjoy how flexibly we can work at 4flow. I was able to take a working vacation in Italy last year, for example.

That sounds exciting – can you tell us more about it?
A few colleagues and I rented a place in Sicily. It was spectacular. We all get along really well in our team, and we enjoyed spending that time together. It’s great to have this freedom, since I like to travel so much.

And how do you spend your free time when you’re in Berlin?
Ideally, by going out for good food and drinks to bring the Italian dolce vita to Berlin. I also like to explore the city by bike. There’s so much to see in Berlin. At the same time, I also appreciate the down-to-earth attitude of Berlin – it makes me feel at home in the city.