Post by Dr. Lea Corzilius

This is me - many years ago. Curious, confident, and unaware of the many opportunities that would arise along the road ahead. Looking back, one thing stands out: I never made it alone. At every important turn, there were people who chose to invest in me. People who asked the hard questions. Who saw potential before I fully saw it myself and were willing to sponsor it with their time, trust, and courage. Those conversations taught me that growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because someone believes in you enough to open a door—and expects you to walk through it. On International Women’s Day, I want to say thank you to the mentors and sponsors who did exactly that. As CHRO at ZF Group, I carry this responsibility forward—by creating environments where development is intentional. Where talent is not only recognized, but actively sponsored. Today, I also want to celebrate the women across ZF who live this every day: Women who challenge ideas. Who share opportunities. Who make space for voices that might otherwise go unheard. Who lift each other up—consistently. Carina Nitsche Meike Perlitz Stanislava Placha Ekaterini Floros Katrin Fichtl Anna B. Annalena Völker Anke Graf Carly Bohrer and so many more Because none of us gets there alone. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD #Sponsorship #ZF