ABOUT ANNE:

"Embrace curiosity and find joy in learning - then you'll either win or learn but never lose." - Anne Pohlmann

OUR QUESTIONS:

You started your career in strategy consulting and have now been with Siemens Smart Infrastructure for more than four years. What factors were decisive for you to take this path - both the first step into consulting and later the move into industry?

My motivation to start a career in consulting evolved from my interest in a wide range of topics. I’ve always been eager to learn new things. Additionally, I’m a very analytical person, thus strategy consulting was a great first step, as you get a broad understanding of the economic context, and an insight in various industries as well as company politics. Though you mostly get a side perspective as an external consultant, there is still a lot to learn about communication and methods. What I have always appreciated about my job in consulting was the variety of new challenges and problems I had to deal with. I did many projects that always covered different topics and industries, requiring out-of-the box thinking as the environments were very dynamic and there wasn’t a “blueprint” applicable to all of them.

Over time, however, I started to wish for a more long-term responsibility - for topics as well as for people. Consulting is rather short-lived, you do a project with one team, then after several months or even weeks you move to the next project with a new team. After doing this for a while, I felt it was time for something new, where I would see the impact.

What difficulties have you encountered in the course of your career? How did you overcome them?

I have always looked for demanding jobs and of course, accordingly got confronted with several challenges. In the end, every single one of them was a great experience. Most difficulties I had previously feared turned out to be pretty manageable. The more difficult ones were those I did not expect - mostly interpersonal or leadership issues. You meet new people with different strengths, needs, desires and different backgrounds than yours, especially when changing from a consulting job to an industry job. And though you can apply methods to a lot of things, interpersonal skills depend a lot on openness and experience.

Personally, what I always try to remember is the learning you can draw from every challenge you face. Especially with difficult situations it helps me to keep in mind that when it doesn’t work out, I will learn how not to do it.

What has helped you the most to follow your path and pursue your goals? What factors motivated you? Did you have a certain "mantra"?

For me, it’s about learning new things as well as setting and achieving goals.

I try to consciously take the time to reflect and then set private and professional goals. Usually, I think about 1-2 goals per year, realistic ones that can be achieved with small steps. If I face difficulties during the day, I usually try to find a positive thing that has happened and focus on it, as to say “This day was really bad, but hey, there was something positive in it”.

And with regards to learning: If I have a mantra, then it is probably: “I do not lose - either I win or I learn”.

In your current position as Head of Strategy, what is your experience as a woman in this leadership position?

I can't say if my experience is different from that of men. In the current management team I’m in, there are more women than I have worked with during my time in consulting in the automotive industry ;) - even though I work in a very technically-driven company.

I think there are challenges that may affect women more than men, but at the moment there are also many opportunities for women. Personally, I try not to focus on gender so much. However, one thing that’s actually still on my mind is the little number of women studying and working in tech-focused areas. I also decided against a tech-focused study in the first place given the low quotas of women, although I’ve always been interested in this field. I regretted this decision afterwards - maybe not regretted it, as I still found my path, but I often thought, I should have studied something more technical. Luckily, it’s never too late to learn something new, so currently I’m doing a Master’s degree at the ETH in Applied Technology to get some technical basics for non-technicians. It’s a great opportunity and I personally think it's important to be interested in tech-related topics, as we are increasingly influenced by technology.

How do you balance work and personal life?

If I'm completely honest - work has always been an important part of my life. I've always looked for jobs that motivate me, help me grow and that I can pursue with genuine interest and enthusiasm.