Blog

What the CFO of tomorrow will look like

Bean counting was yesterday: in the future, the challenge for CFOs will be to transform data into information – and communicate that information effectively. The period between Christmas and the New Year is a time for considering the future and making plans for the coming year. Among other things, I asked myself what the tasks…
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What I didn’t say on my first talk show

Those of you who follow my blogs and articles already know about my interest in innovation and digitalization. And of course how they are impacting the workforce, companies and society. I recently had the great opportunity to discuss these issues on a German primetime talk show called Anne Will. How I got invited After…
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How you can use integrated reporting to increase customer and employee loyalty

Integrated reporting is a complex field, yet it also offers companies a chance to establish trust among their employees and investors. This text was first published at Handelsblatt online. Today the information that companies share with the public and their investors has to meet higher standards than in the past, and includes both financial…
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Lessons I would like to share with my younger self

I was recently invited to speak before a group of young students on their first day at University. In preparation for the talk, I looked back on my own life and career and asked myself what I would tell my younger self if I could. First. Don’t be afraid of failure. I’ve failed several…
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How to become a Supervisory Board Member or Non-Executive Director

An overview from a non-executive board member At the moment, my profession is non-executive director (NED) or “Aufsichtsrätin”. This is my only profession – which, at least in Germany, is not very common. The fact that it is not given as an option on registration forms for conventions or conferences makes this clear. You’re expected…
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Global Economic Symposium #gesym18

Last Tuesday, I attended a great panel session at the Global Economic Symposium (#gesym18) discussing “the future of work and education in the digital age” with three experts. The symposium took place in Kiel, my hometown, and was part of “the digital week in Kiel” (#diwokiel). It was organized by the Kiel Institute for…
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What does a Non Executive Director actually do everyday?

An Overview from an NED. Very often I am asked what a Non Executive Director (NED) actually does. This is sometimes combined with the assumption that it is a boring job – because you sit in endless meetings with no real impact. Some may even think an NED equals a NERD – which is not…
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The Start of a Small Podcast Series

Last week, I did my first podcast session with Norman Glaser’s MARKENREBELL. We talked about business topics such as performance, digitisation, technology and the areas where our corporate culture needs to change. I also talked about how these topics have shaped me as a professional – and what I am working on at the…
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Why cyber security should be at the top of company boards’ agendas

Last weekend, I attended a great workshop in London where board members as well as Chief Information officers (CIOs) and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from various industries (banking, pharma, technology, production and communication) met with CEOs of fast growing software companies to discuss innovative solutions in the areas Cyber Security, Cloud services, robots…
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The Challenges of Enterprise Evaluation

As a member of a supervisory board, and even more as an acting CFO, I regularly have been and currently am involved in merger and acquisition projects – whether a company is considering buying other companies, selling parts of its own company, or merging with others. In all these cases, you have to evaluate…
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