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Originally from Munich, Germany, I moved to Singapore in 1997 and started to work for a then quite small Allianz Singapore entity to set up the Controlling area. From a one woman show it grew to an 8 person team over the years, and now I’m heading the Controlling & Marketing department.
With a university degree in Business Administration and Economics and 2 years with Generali, moving overseas and joining Allianz in 1997 was very challenging and exciting. And it got quite intense very fast, as Allianz merged with AGF in 2008 and the company suddenly doubled in size. Fortunately the transition was smooth. The next exciting step was to help to set up the first worldwide Reinsurance Branch in Singapore in 1999, covering the whole of Asia Pacific, and growing tremendously over the last 10 years.
At the beginning I had to adjust to the language and culture, but the colleagues here were very helpful and made the integration very easy. One thing you have to always consider in Asia is: it is important for people to not loose face in front of others. And of course eating smelly Durian in the staircase with colleagues helps to be part of the culture, too.
I can’t really compare the Allianz culture in head office with the one here in Singapore as I never worked there in Munich. But I can say the atmosphere and the work style here are very open. The office has an open door concept, most of the walls are glass panels, so everything is very transparent and communication can flow. It is also very common to have a chat in the pantry or along the corridor. Colleagues often bring traditional goodies to the office, thanks to the different cultures / festivals / traditions (Chinese, Muslim, Indian, Western, …) all combined in Singapore.
Living 12 years in Singapore I can only say that time passed so fast, probably because there is always something new happening – a new system, new responsibilities, new staff, new leaders, mergers, etc - and there are not any real seasonal changes here, hence you don’t feel the time running.
I didn’t have major expectations when I came in 1997 and I guess that’s why I adapted to the culture and lifestyle here pretty fast, anyway with friends and / or family around, you feel at home no matter where.
The Allianz Re office here has about 15 nationalities, which makes it very diversified, sometimes challenging. I think, living in a multicultural environment you tend to be more flexible and open-minded, creating a better prerequisite for change.
All in all I have to say I like my job because it is never boring, I enjoy working with colleagues from different cultures and backgrounds, and I have a great team, reflecting exactly this diversity.
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