More responsibility and more influence - that was what Dr. Magnus Ekerot, formerly Managing Director at the Swedish display manufacturer Beijer Electronics as well as with Axis Communications, was looking for. It was opportune then that Dr. Ralf Hinkel of Mobotix was on the lookout for a new CSO. GIT-SECURITY.com spoke with Dr. Magnus Ekerot about the reasons for his move and his plans with Mobotix.

GIT-SECURITY.com: Dr. Ekerot, we just have to start with the question of what drove you to take over responsibility at Mobotix after your time with Axis Communications and Beijer Electronics?

Magnus Ekerot: Yes, of course you can ask because the question is easy for me to answer. I wanted more responsibility. I was Managing Director with Beijer Electronics worldwide in an international listed company and was a member of the Board. At Axis I was Regional Manager for the German-speaking countries, the Netherlands and Eastern Europe. So it was an important personal step for me to move to Beijer Electronics. I didn‘t just want to be responsible for various regions but to actively influence a company. I was with Beijer for two years and didn't have any intention to move until Dr. Hinkel contacted me. He made me an offer to become CSO at Mobotix with the option of assuming the CEO position in the mid-term so that he himself could concentrate more on the research and technology side of the company. That sounded exciting, because I know the market and have a strategic and international background through my previous activities. It was important that I would not join a company whose business and organizational structure was identical to one of my previous employers.

What attracted you particularly of Mobotix?

Magnus Ekerot: Above all it is the high level of innovation and the continuing large potential for the growth of Mobotix that fascinated me. What attracts me is that not only IP video technology is considered but complete solutions and thereby an expansion in my area of activity is possible. In comparison to other competitors in the camera market, Mobotix is not just a pure manufacturer of cameras but a broadly-based system and software provider that has set numerous technological trends in the industry over recent years.

The company founders, Dr. Ralf Hinkel, his management team and all the employees have achieved a great deal here. They have applied high-resolution and network-based video systems as well as their decentralized Hires Mobotix concept. And that is just the beginning. Besides the new technology approach and the parallel international expansion, the company has most recently managed to secure a new market segment in access control and IP door stations with its hemispheric camera technology. We expect further growth opportunities to arise in the coming years - in particular because the technology also permits the future integration of iPhone and iPad. There are therefore some challenging tasks ahead with which I want to apply myself.

Music is one of your hobbies. If you were to compare Mobotix and Axis as if they were bands, which company is which band and why?

Magnus Ekerot: That‘s a great question, one that I‘ve asked for the first time actually, and it‘s also one which is pretty difficult to answer. I love music, although it‘s not easy to compare companies with music. But okay, let‘s take the nationality as a basis: Axis would then be comparable to Abba. Many people were and is wowed by Abba, the music is well composed, the group had and still has fans in many countries, it is still popular, they look good (or at least they did) - just as it usually is in Sweden, to put it simply. Mobotix, on the other hand - and I‘m exaggerating here somewhat - is more like Rammstein. It takes a while before everybody understands Rammstein. This band has its own music concept and fans that are totally convinced and are therefore very loyal. Rammstein is not yet so big, but ever more people understand their music, discover the unique concept that lies behind it and are then enthusiastic.

You have been Chief Sales Officer on the Board of Mobotix since January 2011. What personal elements and what company philosophy have you brought with you in your opinion?

Magnus Ekerot: For me, a company that functions well in all respects is important. The first few months were therefore dominated by listening and analyzing. Simultaneously I was able to become familiar with the technology of the company. And now - I believe - I have the foundation to move sales forward in the interests of Mobotix and to expand and make it even more efficient. My character and my competence, that I have now enhanced with company-specific I believe, fit very well together to bring the company further towards our vision and objectives. I am convinced that I harmonize well with the existing components here, and I mean that in spite of enormous growth and worldwide expansion, Mobotix has kept its entrepreneurial spirit and the advantages of a family-run company: there is a very open atmosphere here with flat hierarchies and decision-making processes; everybody is pulling in the same direction. From that point of view, the company philosophy is right for today and also for the future challenges that this successful publically listed company will meet.