Birgit Rechberger-Krammer
“Being a manager at Henkel and having a family is possible if you want it.”
| Business Unit: | Laundry & Home Care |
| Division: | Marketing |
| Job title: | Vice President Marketing Laundry & Home Care Central Eastern Europe |
Question 1
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Teacher.
Question 2
What has motivated you to take on a position of high responsibility within Henkel?
I enjoy acting as an entrepreneur, shaping and designing plans together with our teams, and thus achieving success for our company. My biggest passion, however, is to teach and challenge young people, to define and accompany them on their career paths and to develop them to managers. Especially working with Eastern Europeans, a group in which the young generation is eager to learn, is a big source of satisfaction and joy for me.
Question 3
What were the milestones in your career and are there people or circumstances that have favored your career?
After eight years of working successfully for the Austrian market in all possible functions and responsibilities, I was confronted with a brand divestment and subsequent restructuring. This was the real beginning of my career in Henkel in 2000, as I could join the Team of Managers creating the Eastern European region for Laundry & Home Care from scratch. As the region was expanding fast, I had the chance to take on big projects and responsibilities despite my young age, to learn a lot and thus develop professionally and personally.
Question 4
What is your advice to women seeking to build careers?
Being a manager at Henkel and having a family is possible if you want it. If you are very good at what you do, your boss will always support you. Be clear about what your priorities are at which point in time, and communicate openly with him/her.