Personal meetings are important to both: mentee Christian Marian visited his mentor, Claus von Heydebreck, at his workplace in Brazil (Picture: private)
“Claus has already demanded his revenge,” says Christian Marian in a conversation. It’s easy to believe that they will soon meet again on the tennis court, even though they live thousands of kilometers apart. The official term of one year in the TUM Mentoring Professional program is actually over. But Claus von Heydebreck and Christian Marian are certain that they will see each other again and again – and not just to play tennis against each other one more time.
Mentoring Across the Atlantic
Their first meeting took place over the phone. They spoke to each other about once a month and then mostly communicated across the ocean: “It worked well,” partly because they met in person relatively early on. That was at Frankfurt Airport in the fall: Claus von Heydebreck was in Europe on business and had time before his connecting flight, so they arranged to meet in a café. “It’s important for a mentoring tandem to see each other in person,” explains the alumnus, who has been involved as a mentor for many years – and not just for TUM – and supports young people.
Christian Marian always brought a goal or a question to the joint discussions with his mentor: Claus von Heydebreck listened, asked questions and shared his knowledge. “The mentoring meetings were professional, productive and successful,” says Christian Marian. But what is even more important to him: “I got the feeling that Claus had become a friend.”
For Claus von Heydebreck, mentoring is also a personal growth story. As a mentor, you learn a lot when you reflect on the issues that the mentee brings with them. “Mentoring teaches you to listen carefully and not to judge so quickly,” says Claus von Heydebreck, who has been involved in mentoring for many years.
Mentoring- and tennis partners (Picture: private).
I have an alma mater feeling that connects me to TUM.
Christian Marian also looks back on his studies at TUM with pride: “It was an incredibly important time for me.” He is very happy that the university has so many offers for him as an alumnus even now – after the end of his studies. He reads the newsletter for alumni and regularly takes part in the webinars and career events that TUM offers for alumni: “I keep in touch with TUM because I know that it offers me a great network that I can only benefit from.”
That is why Christian Marian is also involved himself. Before the second personal meeting with Claus von Heydebreck in Brazil, he contacted the TUM Liaison Office in Latin America and organized an alumni meeting in São Paulo together with him, which was attended by many young alumni as well as two students. “That was an absolute highlight,” both mentor and mentee agree: ”It’s great to see that TUM alumni are also networked in Brazil and all over the world.”
Claus von Heydebreck and Christian Marian (Picture: private).
Diploma Maschinenwesen 1997
Since 2010, Claus von Heydebreck has been a volunteer at TUM Mentoring by Alumni for Students on a voluntary basis and supports students and alumni. He himself studied mechanical engineering at TUM and, after his first job at ThyssenKrupp in Bochum, gained a foothold in the automotive supply industry. His career took the German-Brazilian back to Brazil and the USA before he returned to his home country in 2008 and took up a management position at the Brazilian subsidiary of Kolbenschmidt Pistons Group. His free time belongs to his family and three sons as well as to sport: he is passionate about playing soccer and tennis. You can find out more about Claus von Heydebreck in the alumni story.
Christian Marian
Bachelor Mechanical Engineering 2016, Master 2019
Even before his studies at TUM, Christian Marian was drawn to South America: He completed his pre-study internship for his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in Medellín, Colombia, where he not only acquired basic knowledge for his later course of study, but also developed a passion for the continent that would not let him go. That is why he enrolled in the Double Degree Program with the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) during his Master’s degree at TUM and spent half of his Master’s studies in Brazil, where he met his partner. After graduating, Christian Marian joined the Association of Electrical Engineering as a project manager, where he is responsible for international standardization and international relations. Christian Marian is also a passionate tennis player in his spare time and takes part in tournaments all over the world, especially in Latin America.
