Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
As Chief People Officer in the high-tech sensor industry, I lead our people agenda across Europe, the U.S., China, and Asia. With a clear focus on aligning people and business strategy, I’m building a globally scalable, tech-enabled HR function that supports innovation, profitability, and growth. My mission is to shape the workforce and leadership capabilities of tomorrow — enabling transformation, empowering performance, and making culture a competitive advantage. I believe in HR as a growth and capability engine — and in delivering real business impact through people.
In August 2023, I assumed the role of Chief People Officer of the Kistler Group and was also appointed to the extended Executive Board. When this opportunity arose, I had no doubts about my own ability to handle the task. Rather, I wondered whether we could succeed together as a team. The move to this position meant a change for many of my valued colleagues, who would now report directly to me. Therefore, my decision-making process was less of an individual one and more of a collective one. I consulted with each of my colleagues: Would it be okay with you if I took on this role, and would we work together to overcome the challenges ahead? After receiving unanimous approval, the decision was made. We’ve been working together for almost three years now, and recently someone told me I have a knack for making my team better every day. I believe, however, that the opposite is true: they’ve been making me better every day since then. We focus on continuously improving our services and consulting expertise, and we adapt flexibly to ongoing internal and external changes. We see ourselves as an integral part of the business and carefully consider how we can deploy our resources efficiently and with the greatest possible value contribution. Some organizations don’t realize how much they need HR until they experience the HR that moves them forward and makes them more successful—and that is our guiding principle. My goal isn't to shine, but for us to do the right things as a team. Ask me if you want to know more about the things we do.
In the summer of 2022, I seized the opportunity to join Kistler! I had never worked for a family-owned company before and found the technology that Kistler offers simply fascinating—two reasons that made my decision easy. It also gave me the opportunity to expand my HR experience to include responsibility for a larger production site, which I had been lacking until then. The local HR team was well positioned, albeit still very young in terms of both professional experience and length of service at Kistler. Together, we achieved a lot of good things in a short period of time. The Compensation & Processes, HR Services, and Talent Acquisition departments were still in their infancy in some respects, and within about eight months we managed to significantly increase the level of maturity in these areas, which did not go unnoticed by management.
During the summer of 2021, I began the process of transferring my responsibility for the HRIS to a member of my team, successfully preparing him to take on the role in the future. Concurrently, I initiated various global HR initiatives for Autoneum. One of the main projects was conducting the first global Employee Engagement Survey in collaboration with Gallup. Further I helped developing ESG reporting in accordance with GRI (for the dimension "Social": labor practices, human rights, community relations, and occupational health and safety. )
In 2018, Autoneum introduced its first integrated HRIS (SuccessFactors). I was involved in selecting the solution and was part of the implementation team, with overall responsibility for the Employee Central module (which ultimately forms the basis for all other modules and processes). Following the successful launch, I assumed overall responsibility for the operation and further development of the system. Over a period of three years, we collaborated with the internal IT department, a small team of HR specialists, and external support to develop and implement a functional and well-integrated system. This has led to a significant enhancement in the quality and efficiency of talent processes, as well as improvements in governance in the area of compensation, the availability of data in successor systems, and interfaces to finance.
My decision to join Autoneum was driven by a desire to expand my experience and knowledge in a new industry. The transition has been incredibly rewarding, and I have learned a great deal in a short period of time. Prior to this, I was accustomed to innovation being the primary focus, with projects typically planned well in advance and often financed by public budgets. At Autoneum, I gained valuable insights into how companies function in contexts involving cost competition, cyclical markets and economic dependence. A significant proportion of the questions was new to me, and not all of it could be mastered with the tools and skills I had acquired by then. Reflecting on my early years at Autoneum, I am profoundly grateful for the invaluable lessons I learned, particularly in regard to prioritising financial aspects in my work.
In 2010, Ericsson underwent a comprehensive restructuring to optimize its sales structures and better align with the needs of its customers. As part of this process, also support functions were realigned, which allowed me to transition to an HR management position in Switzerland. My assignment was to develop and implement a new HR department at Ericsson Switzerland. Initially, the focus was on transactional processes and networking with centers of expertise, and later on employee relations and leadership. Our team has been steadily growing, and we have initiated sustainable developments and raised the perception of HR to a new level. The most significant development during this period was undoubtedly the integration of a competitor's service business, which led to a nearly twofold increase in the number of employees and the addition of several new locations to the organization.
Joining Ericsson marked the beginning of my career in a truly international environment, and I am still grateful for this opportunity today. The research and development center in Aachen not only stands for fundamental achievements in modern telecommunications technology that have influenced the lives of almost everyone in the world, but was also a meeting place for people from all over the world, some of whom are among the smartest people I have ever met in my life. In this incredible environment, I was able to quickly develop my skills as an HR business partner. I was a member of international, partly remote management teams that led several development projects with over 500 software and hardware developers from all over the world. Scrum and other agile models were already a reality there, and the progressive corporate culture, carefully nurtured by the Swedish headquarters, would still outshine many other companies today. I am proud to have been part of Ericsson during this time and can say without a doubt that this is where the foundation for my future career was laid.
I began my professional journey at T-Systems. In the past, it could be challenging for graduates to find employment in the field of HR. For this reason, I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to apply a substantial amount of theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. As a member of a team of seasoned HR Business Partners, I had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and develop a comprehensive understanding of the contemporary HR landscape. I was able to work directly with employees and, later, managers on various HR and business topics, contribute to projects, and lead smaller initiatives independently. This was possible because I was working on a long leash. In addition, I was able to gain my first experience with SAP here.