Audi 2015 Annual Report Download - page 68

DROLL : Our customers also demand superb reliability and
quality from our cars. And of course we also place the same
demands on ourselves. We have fi rmly internalized the notion
of quality and always strive for perfection. To do so you have
to be meticulous and determined, and never give up. Passion is
the only way to pull it o . When I sit in the car I see not just
an attractive steering wheel, for instance, but in my mind’s eye
I also see the microstructure of the leather and I can feel the
grain of the surface.
FLAMMERSFELD : You defi nitely need to have enthusiasm.
I believe if you’ve got this fi re inside, you can do anything –
run , kilometers or become the next Picasso (laughs).
DROLL : And you have to be given the opportunity to do it. At
Audi I was able to develop in my profession from a very early
stage. It was always performance and personality that
mattered there, and not gender. But the right balance is also
important. I always managed to strike that balance with my
sons and I’ve become a keen ice hockey fan through the two of
them. You have to learn to concentrate on yourself and realize
when you’ve reached your own limits. Then it’s a question of
stepping back for a while so you can recharge your batteries.
FLAMMERSFELD : That’s right. It might sound like a paradox,
but the body also needs constant breaks to improve when
training to run.
Speaking of breaks : The fi rst part of the hike is completed.
Time to enjoy the fantastic view of the summit. As they gaze
into the distance, the conversation turns to the future.
FLAMMERSFELD : Over the next few years I intend to climb
the highest volcano on each of the world’s continents – and
to do so from the lowest point in the country. Next on the list
is North America’s highest volcano, the Citlaltépetl in Mexico,
towering over , meters. To provide a bit of variety, I’d like PHOTOS : Niels Schubert, AUDI AG
Fuel consumption and emission figures at the end of the Annual Report