Blog

Can Europe do better?

Yes, it can – but only when it becomes a truly united Europe, without separate countries, governments and attitudes on critical topics like climate change! The German newspaper Handelsblatt recently launched a series of articles, in which German managers and celebrities explain why Europe is important to them. All of these articles are currently being…
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Starting my very own podcast: “How to Run an Art Gallery”

Art has always been very important for me, but when it came to choosing my career path, I decided on a more sensible course: finance. After a very successful and exciting corporate career, I am very happy that my new activities as a supervisory board member for five companies and a consultant still leave…
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As low as it gets: a target number of zero women on the executive board

The new AllBright Report (www.allbright-stiftung.de) has just been released, and states – once again – that Germany’s 160 public companies continue to have virtually no women on their executive boards. And that’s not all: “Numerous supervisory boards have set themselves the goal of ‘zero women’ on the executive board.” When I first read this,…
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My impulse lecture at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Here is a translation of the impulse lecture, which I gave during a discussion meeting on the eve of International Women’s Day at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy: Dear Minister Altmaier, Ladies and Gentlemen, Todays “#Strong women Strong Economy” – it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? And…
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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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