Audi first appeared on Martin Sander’s radar as a boy – his parents drove the cars – but when the first A8 whizzed past him on the street during his university years, he immediately knew which road to follow. Joining Audi in 1995 as part of the sales division in Ingolstadt, Germany, he’s now in the driver’s seat as president and CEO of Audi Canada.
1. My business mantra Think big. Always challenge and push boundaries.
2. I always listen to classical music, like Johann Sebastian Bach. He is a favourite as well as a connection back to Germany. Audi means “listen” in Latin, so music is important.
3. My eureka moment Running is a great opportunity to clear my thoughts – like every time I hit a “runner’s high.”
4. My go-to gadget My BlackBerry Bold: the power-to-weight ratio is unbeatable.
5. Best place for a business lunch Port in Pickering, a little contemporary holiday oasis by Lake Ontario, for an Angus beef burger.
6. Window or aisle? As a pilot I prefer one of the two seats with windows all around.
7. The biggest risk I ever took was declining a great job offer from the bank I was working at to go back to university to get an engineering degree.
8. In my carry-on you’ll find The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins – a great read if you’re prepared to throw some of your assumptions about life away.
9. What I had to learn on the fly How important people really are to business success.
10. In business, now’s a good time to think and act globally while never forgetting your roots.
