Employee Profile: André Rathje

André Rathje’s connection to rowing began when he was a toddler and his parents would take him and his sister to countless regattas. Rowers themselves, his parents put André in a boat when he was ten years old and thus began his "career" in rowing.

André rowed competitively for several years and was a lightweight rower on the German National team at the German Junior and Under 23 Championships. He’s also been a boat builder and rowing coach, and since 2006, oversees the oar business at Concept2 Germany in Hamburg.

The Hamburg office is efficiently small and requires everyone to have multiple roles. André’s position includes everything from customer service, inventory management, regatta service, reseller support and rowing advisor. That’s a lot to juggle! But as busy as he is, André finds that the variety is one of his favorite things about his job—that, and working with a great team of people.

To offset his busy work life, André finds great enjoyment and relaxation in his family. His wife Jenny and their three young children top the list of things he most looks forward to when not in the office or on the road traveling to regattas. He’s also picked up his violin after several years and tries to play a few times a week. A newfound passion for gardening is another way André spends free time.

This summer André will be going back and forth between the office and the field, providing oar service at the International Jr. Regatta in his hometown of Hamburg, the German Championships in Cologne and the World Masters Rowing Regatta in Belgium.