Julian Klare, Business Development Manager APAC

As far back as he can remember, Julian Klare has felt an irresistible attraction to the sea. He loved growing up around Lake Steinhude – until he realised that this large lake in Lower Saxony was just a drop compared to the world’s oceans. To see more of the sea, Julian Klare pursued a degree in civil engineering at the University of Hanover’s Ludwig Franzius Institute of Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering. “Hydraulic engineering opened the door to the port for me,” he says. Professionally, he took a step away from engineering consultation and has been working at HPC as Project Manager & Deputy BDM of the Asia Pacific region since 2019.

His office at the company headquarters in Hamburg is right next to Container Terminal Altenwerder – you can’t get much closer to the port than that. “We’re not sitting up here in an ivory tower; we’re right up close with port operations.” From his exciting workplace, Julian can hear and feel the rumble of steel boxes weighing several tonnes being unloaded and reloaded. He’s in his element here, which is why he chose HPC. “Business consulting wasn’t the focus; I wanted to gain more knowledge about ports for myself.” He was fascinated by the fact that HPC has had “incredible know-how” since 1976. At the beginning, he benefited greatly from experienced colleagues mentoring him. Now he supports new team members as a mentor himself.

International port projects regularly take Julian to coasts around the world. Whenever he breathes the sea air, he feels right at home. During the day, he evaluates technical feasibilities and develops master plans. At night, he’s out on the water – whether he’s surfing, swimming or diving, he’s happy as long as he’s on the water. He’s also pleased if colleagues or customers join him – the project work certainly benefits from it. Once, in New Zealand, where he was working on a concept for fully automated port operations at the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch, he tested out the surfing hotspot Sumner Beach with the CFO of a client he initially knew as a man in suit and tie.

Julian Klare doesn’t just appreciate momentum while riding waves – it’s also important on the job. “HPC opens up an enormous number of doors for anyone who is open to trying new things,” he says.