Diana Langer: Will you come to Europe with me?

“Keep moving”—this could be the catchphrase of Diana Langer, who started at Bechtle over 21 years ago as the first dual student in Logistics & Service GmbH. Today, the enthusiastic endurance athlete is a member of the Executive Board of Bechtle E-Commerce Holding AG in Neckarsulm.

“Will you come to Europe with me?” asked Bechtle Executive Board member Jürgen Schäfer in 2004. Diana Langer, who at that time had just completed her dual business studies with a focus on international trade, did not hesitate for long: “I said yes right away. Jürgen Schäfer was new in his role as  Head of Bechtle direct in Europe at the time and I was then the only employee of what later became Bechtle direct AG.” The first few years were spent getting to know the Bechtle locations in Europe and developing a uniform benchmarking system, business models and sales concepts. From 2008, the focus was then on establishing further Bechtle direct companies in Ireland, Portugal, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. This came just at the right time for Diana Langer. Because besides endurance sports like triathlons, marathons and cycling marathons, travelling is her second great passion. “I was able to accompany these new companies at close quarters and support them in their development. If it weren’t for the pandemic, I’d be on the road a lot and in close contact with our national companies,” says Diana Langer.

Taking the lead with Bechtle.

Diana Langer is not only looking for a sporting challenge. In 2016, she became head of an international team at E-Commerce Holding AG, and in 2021 she rose to become a member of the Executive Board. Throughout all this time, there was one person by her side: Jürgen Schäfer. “I have learned a lot from Jürgen Schäfer along the way. He has always stood by me as a mentor, giving me the necessary confidence and challenging me with ever new tasks. In my 21 years at Bechtle, I’ve never been bored,” says Diana Langer with a smile. No wonder, since the IT e-commerce segment grew from just under € 100 million to around € 2 billion in turnover during this time. As the central contact point for the countries Bechtle operates in, the current 25 employees of Bechtle E-Commerce Holding AG naturally have a lot to do. Identifying requirements from these countries, driving innovative projects and always keeping the growing team together—across national borders. It’s good that Diana Langer enjoys new things. “I love development and change and I am lucky to get to know a lot of people in our locations in Europe through the variety of projects,” she says.

What will the future bring? Bechtle’s e-commerce business has long since ceased to be the classic business of the early days. “We want to be close to our customers and work out customised solutions with them. E-commerce at Bechtle is not just about pushing products.” Diana Langer and her team are actively accompanying this change in order to support the companies in the Bechtle countries grow in the best possible way. In other words: There’s still a lot happening. Enough reason to keep moving!