„Think freely and independently!"

What drives you?

I have been interested in money since I was a child. My drive has always been to be financially independent as a woman. There were always working women in my family. I always wanted to be free and lead a good life: live in a nice home, enjoy life, and go on vacations.

For me, it has always been important to be "free," to feel free, and to think freely and independently. That's why research was a great field for me, because it's about forming a well-founded and independent opinion.

How important is freedom for you?

What no one can take from you – regardless of your environment – is your ability to change your inner attitude or mindset. This includes not necessarily believing your thoughts and interpretations permanently, especially if you feel they are not beneficial. You can learn to question them and, if helpful, change them. This creates a great deal of flexibility and ultimately a sense of personal freedom.

As an analyst, you learn to seek credible sources, critically question them, and form your own independent opinion. This questioning and weighing of information is an important skill that also helps you stand more firmly in life.

What are your values as a leader?

I really enjoy working with other people. I listen well and respect different opinions – having a diversity of opinions is very important to me. Everyone has something valuable to say. I like to cooperate and try to lead by example.

What I don't like is when weaker individuals are suppressed in any way. It's important to me that everyone can develop their potential. I always look at what someone brings to the table and what potential they have.

A good culture of handling mistakes is very important to me. Every mistake holds incredible learning value – for oneself and for others. I firmly believe that only those who do nothing make no mistakes.

What is your strength?

I find it easy to think strategically and to get to the heart of things. Over the years, working together with others has become increasingly important to me. As an equity analyst, I often worked alone on topics that resulted in a "buy" or "sell" recommendation.

While I can cover certain areas on my own, a team naturally has a completely different potential. For more complex issues, it adds value to bring multiple experts together to see what solutions can be found collaboratively.

I find it very exciting to moderate such processes and clearly articulate major topics.
 

How does one become oneself?

It's a journey and takes time. The important thing is to get to know yourself: with all your strengths and weaknesses. And then to dare to be yourself and not have to meet the expectations of others.

That requires a lot of courage.

But the more you get to know yourself, the more authentic you become. In the long run, it's the easier path because it's incredibly exhausting to maintain a facade. It's much more tiring to meet norms and expectations than to be yourself.

In my life, many things were not planned; they developed over time. And the more I became aware of what I can and cannot do, the better I could respond to opportunities and make good decisions for myself. When you know who you are, you can engage in a completely different way. But everything takes time. It's a process; you unfold over time.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by people who are brave and smart. Those who have tried something and succeeded. I am very curious, but not always courageous.
 

What is your connection to the Erste Women's Hub?

I became involved with the Erste Women's Hub through a professional lecture. I find it wonderful that so many women are engaged with the Erste Women's Hub and keep it alive. I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience there.

Most of the time, I have worked in a rather male-dominated environment and adapted my behaviour to some extent, especially when I was younger. Now, I increasingly enjoy showing myself as I am.
 

Where are you headed?

In the ERSTE Foundation, the future will focus heavily on societal challenges and the solutions we want to provide. The key to success, given the complexity of these issues, will likely lie in good collaboration, where smart minds are willing to take responsibility, identify opportunities, and implement them. I believe that everything I have ever learned will be useful, and I will concentrate on my strengths as I continue on my path.

Thank you very much for the interview, dear Gudrun!