“Trust the process."

Vanessa Weinhofer was born in 1995 into a family of entrepreneurs. After completing her bachelor's degree, she initially moved into the fashion industry, where she worked in marketing and sales. This was followed by a dual master's degree with a six-month stay in Australia. After her master's degree, Vanessa completed a trainee program for commerce and liberal professions at Erste Bank and then became the leader of a private customer advisory team. Today, she leads a 15-member commercial team on Mariahilferstraße. 

Dear Vanessa, where are you from?

I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My parents and grandparents were self-employed, ranging from the hospitality industry to a control technology company. I started helping out early on and realized that there are different phases in entrepreneurship and the life cycle of a business. This made me very independent from an early age and perhaps led to a unique problem-solving ability.

How do you solve problems?

My father had 50 employees, and whenever there was a problem, he would break down the situation for me in an age-appropriate way and ask me how I would solve the problem. This trained me from a young age, and I learned to see problems holistically, involve all parties, and find a solution.

My strength is still to think strategically and objectively about things. Not to immediately get emotional, but to approach things calmly and rationally.

I know: I can always rely on myself, and there will always be a solution. This gives a certain kind of peace of mind.

How important is joy to you? 

Joy and fun at work are central to me. It doesn't work without them. My employees know this too.

I quickly rose to my current position as branch manager in Mariahilf, and I am very proud of having achieved this. We are a commercial team advising medium-sized companies and freelancers. My ability to inspire others and see and awaken their potential has helped me achieve this goal.

Taking on the job as branch manager was a big decision. I'm glad I had the courage to take this path.

I enjoy my work immensely. We have so much creative freedom, and working with my employees is great and very fulfilling. I enjoy going to work every day!

What is important to you? 

In the past, performance and success were my main priorities. Today, I also focus on sustainability and resource management.

How can I ensure that I am well and that the people around me are well? Relationships have become highly valued, both personally and professionally. I cultivate my relationships in a lively and authentic way, and I have a genuine interest in the people around me.

What are your values as a leader? 

It is very important to me to create a stable relationship between all stakeholders. This also includes myself, as I have different drives and motivations. It is especially important to me to build a strong and trusting team at my location, where everyone can contribute their strengths and we can be successful together.

It is also important to look at a situation from a distance and to fully understand the issue by talking to people and actively listening. And to continually challenge oneself when noticing a particular feeling or opinion.

What is your motto? 

Trust the process. Just like a stock price goes up and down, so does life. And just like with the stock price, what is important to you will hopefully have risen and progressed in the end.

Maybe not everything always goes smoothly, but you can learn from it, and you can give others a tip. And that is already worth a lot!

And of course: Teamwork makes the dream work! :-) Even if it's often laughed at, it really hits the mark. My team is so important, and the joy of working together is invaluable. 

What should people know about financial education? 

That it can be incredibly fun to engage with your own finances. Because it means having the freedom to shape your own life.

I think she invests is a great initiative that has such high demand, especially for women to engage with this topic. I am committed to supporting this.

What do bears mean to you? 

I love bears! They are strong, intelligent, and adaptable. These are qualities I admire. The only thing we don't agree on is hibernation. For some time now, I have had several bear sponsorships (which I visit regularly) at a bear park in Cumberland Park in Upper Austria, and as a thank you, I received a stuffed bear. It now sits on my desk and has become our team's mascot. Anyone having a bad day can borrow the bear.

Thank you, dear Vanessa, for the interview!