Man with a plan

摘要

Karsten Henze, Deutsche Bahn's chief designer, is tackling a ?6 billion project. Being Karsten Henze, head of the design team at German operator Deutsche Bahn (DB), carries quite a responsibility. "In this job you have to deal with a wrong decision for the next ten years," he says, with some feeling. And since his department is responsible for everything from the position of luggage racks to carpet fabrics, the lettering on the timetables and the shape of the locomotives, any mistakes would be highly visible as well as long lasting. Henze runs an 18-person team with influence and responsibilities within the rail giant belying its modest size. "We are the interface between headquarters and our suppliers. We have a very close relationship with manufacturers such as Siemens, Alstom, Bombardier and many others," he explains. "We decide shapes, colours, carpets - everything to do with the Deutsche Bahn look."