An international finance chief has given up his life near the Swiss lakes to help head up one of the north-east’s most famous firms after falling in love with the area during lockdown.
Maik Blumentritt was on a regular family visit to Aberdeenshire when the UK shut down.
Having studied at Aberdeen University last year, Mr Blumentritt said he had always wanted to relocate to Scotland and decided to take the opportunity to make the move from Zurich.
He made contact with executive search company FWB Park Brown, who had been hired by food producer Baxters to lead a search to find its new head of European finance.
Because of the pandemic, almost all screening and job interviews were conducted virtually and he is now in position – all while isolating in Peterhead.
Mr Blumentritt is now looking for a permanent family home in the wider Moray and Aberdeenshire area for the job, which is based in Fochabers.
The executive began his career at the French power plant manufacturer Alstom and the German Consulate-General in Australia before undertaking a number of roles at global building materials company Holcim in Switzerland over 12 years.
He has had longstanding family connections to the north-east and last year completed his MSc in accounting and finance at Aberdeen University.
Mr Blumentritt said: “It’s a real privilege to take on this role which is not only fulfilling my ambition to live and work in Scotland but doing so with one of its most iconic family businesses.
“I have gained extensive experience working across multiple European markets and it’s a great opportunity to develop this with an ambitious, ever evolving company like Baxters working in a sector with such potential for growth and innovation.”
Clyde Marwick, group HR director at Baxters Food Group, said: “We have continued to attract top talent to our business, despite the unpredictable climate we are in.
“Maik brings cross-country management experience and a track record in leading a robust compliance and business growth agenda to this critical role. Maik will be a valuable asset to the team as we tackle the post-Covid and post-Brexit trading world.”
Graham Burns, director of FWB Park Brown, added: “This is a really good example of how all parties involved have been able to adapt quickly, and use technology well, in circumstances that may become the new normal. We are delighted to have been of help to both Baxters Food Group and Maik in this appointment.”
Known for high-quality food production and picturesque mountains, Fochabers and Zurich have more in common than one might first expect.
But Mr Blumentritt will not be trading like-for-like with everything as he makes the transition from Switzerland to Scotland.
Currently isolating in Peterhead, his family are likely to be in for a pleasant surprise when they look at the property market for a permanent home to settle down in.
More than half of all people in Zurich rent their property rather than purchasing it – with the average selling price last year sitting around £1.2 million.
The Blumentritts will find themselves getting slightly better value for money in their new home country – in March, the middle-of-the-road Scottish family home cost £152,000.
And, if he so wished, Mr Blumentritt could likely pay off his new mortgage relatively quickly – with the typical Swiss worker taking home around £60,000 every year to cope with the high cost of living there.
The family’s surroundings are also likely to be quieter than in Zurich, with its urban population of 400,000 a little busier than the 1,700 who stay in Fochabers.
And while Switzerland has its chocolate, the same could be said for Moray and soup.
Founded in 1868, Baxters has major bases throughout the world, including the USA, Poland and Australia.
As people flock to the shelves for authentic Swiss chocolate, perhaps there are just as many customers across the globe looking for a taste of Scotland.