A Cheerful Nature with Global History

Petra Elizabeth Zangerl's background is shaped by a heritage connecting continents, cultures, and historic turning points. Her family had to make a fresh start time and again during the 20th century. Her maternal ancestors lived in China for a time before returning to Germany and ultimately emigrating to Brazil, driven by economic crises, political upheavals, and the hope of a new life.

Her great-grandfather, Karl Ramminger, was a missionary in China, where her grandmother, Hedwig, was born in 1919. Upon returning to Germany, the family faced a period of inflation and uncertainty. In 1921, when a pastor was sought for a congregation in Brazil, the family ventured to South America. In the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, they acquired land in the jungle. Like many European immigrants at that time, they founded a new community there. Hedwig later returned to Germany, where she trained as a nurse and fell in love with Wilhelm, Petra's grandfather. He, too, had been shaped by migration and war. He came to Brazil as an orphan and later returned to Germany to finish his theology studies. However, World War II broke out.

In a time of great uncertainty, the couple's wedding was a small miracle. Hedwig's dramatic escape in January 1945 left particularly deep scars. During her escape, she was seriously injured and had to fend for herself for months. After the war, Wilhelm, a former soldier, had difficulty finding work, which is why the young family decided to return to Brazil in 1948. A lively German-speaking community developed in Santa Cruz do Sul, where Petra's mother, Karin, was born in 1951.

New beginnings also mark the paternal side of Petra's family: After the war, her grandfather's family moved to South Tyrol before emigrating by ship to Argentina, where her father, Rudi, grew up.

Petra was born in Buenos Aires as the fourth child in a family of German, Brazilian, and Argentinian descent. German was spoken at home. She regularly spent her vacations with her grandmother in Brazil, where she was surrounded by cousins, animals, and the warmheartedness of country life. Although her mother died early, her father created a home full of celebrations, togetherness, and music so that Petra did not lose her zest for life.

Petra has lived in Panama for over ten years and found a new home there. To her, the country is a place of security, openness, and ease. People know each other, greet each other, and run into each other again and again in everyday life. Petra likes telling people that she has met President Mulino several times while jogging in the park, not as a political anecdote, but as an example of Panamanian down-to-earthness.

"We are a typical Argentine family — between the traditional barbecue 'asado,' Fernet, soccer, and friends," says Petra about life with her partner, Pablo, and their daughter, Karin (14). Their happiness is complete with Blue, the family's sheepdog who accompanies them on long walks.

Even before joining K+S, Petra had worked exclusively for German companies. Her language skills, communicative nature, and organizational talent had opened up many opportunities for her there. 

When Petra joined the national sales company in 2021, it was still in its infancy. Managing Director Michael Wieczorek had just arrived in Panama and was busy establishing structures in a political and economic environment characterized by strict immigration regulations and the aftermath of the pandemic.

What began as a one-person operation gradually developed into a powerful team. As administrative manager, Petra was the first to support Michael with her commercial knowledge, language skills, organizational talent, and inimitable optimism. Fredy Núñez Palma (Customer Service Manager) joined in 2022, followed by Karen Nazaret Vázquez Delgado (Agronomist) and Ernesto Jonas (Sales Manager of Industrial Products) in 2024.

The entire team greatly appreciates working with Michael Wieczorek. He is a boss who listens, encourages, and fosters a sense of freedom. In an environment like Latin America, where personal relationships are key to successful partnerships, having a culturally diverse team that practices genuine appreciation is a great advantage. Together, the team masters administrative challenges and customer projects, and contributes to K+S's reputation as a reliable partner for agriculture and industry in Central and South America. In just a few years, the national sales company experienced enormous growth in sales volumes, expanding its customer relationships continuously in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and other countries.

But above all else, one thing counts: culture.

Respectful interaction. Genuine cooperation. The desire to make each other great.

Petra sums it up: "We are a strong team that supports and complements each other. We give our all for the company and feel like we are part of it."

Her desire to stay with K+S until retirement demonstrates her genuine loyalty. It also demonstrates the importance of having a corporate culture that empowers and values its employees.

Panama is wonderful, and so is having Petra Elizabeth Zangerl on the K+S team.