Safety first: the woman leading the Product Safety & Compliance team

From start-up to global player

woom co-founders Christian Bezdeka and Marcus Ihlenfeld started making woom bikes in 2013. They sold and shipped 287 bikes to friends and people they knew in the first year. The business has grown and evolved so much over the decade since then, with over 250,000 woom children's bikes now being sold each year.

Now that woom has customers in over 30 countries, production facilities and partner companies on three continents and more than 200 employees around the world, the processes have changed beyond all recognition.

That's certainly true when it comes to quality management and compliance, which Alexandra Kühnelt-Leddihn has been responsible for since 2021.

What is Alexandra's job?

"I'm responsible for making woom bikes as safe as possible," says Alexandra, who gained experience at a testing, inspection and certification company and in other roles in product safety before coming to work for woom.

"I inspect the relevant parts of our production facilities, support our product managers, optimize our quality control processes and do everything I can to ensure that everyone knows and understands the regulations for consumer product safety."

Her colleagues at woom take safety extremely seriously:

"Most of our product managers, engineers and designers are young parents themselves," explains Alexandra. "It's important to them that children have fun and stay safe when they're out and about on our bikes. As the person responsible for safety and compliance, it's my job to make sure everyone knows how to make that happen."

Global challenges

Most of the business operations at woom have changed over the years, but the original concept of lightweight premium bikes designed to meet the needs of children has held true every step of the way.

It takes up to three years to perfect a new bike. Before any launch, all the components go through extensive testing to meet international industry standards.

A woom bike will only be released when it has passed every single test. A system of quality control checks is also in place at the factories, during final assembly and in the warehouses.

Confirming that a product is safe for consumers isn't a straightforward task. The requirements are far from standardized across different markets.

"The concept of safety is not the same in the USA as it is in Europe," explains Alexandra. It's often a case of getting to grips with the regulations and testing procedures, which can involve lengthy video calls with the relevant experts.

Quick-fire questions for Alexandra

What does your desk look like?

• I work in an open place office with shared desks. We have a poster of all the woom bikes in all the sizes and colors hanging up.

What three things would you take with you to a desert island?

• I'm quite pragmatic, so I'd take a pocket knife or multitool, a water bottle and a sleeping bag because I don't like to be cold.

What’s one personal magic moment in your life?

• I struggled a lot at university, so it was a huge achievement when I finally graduated.

Can you tell us about a professional magic moment?

• It has to be when I started this job. I have the opportunity to combine all of my skills in a way that I never have before.

Which book would you recommend?

The French classic The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.