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Born and raised in the Southwest of Germany, near Lake Constance, I joined the Allianz Group in 1994 with a dual study at the Cooperative State University and education at the Allianz P&C Branch in Stuttgart. After the Bachelor graduation, my professional career continued in Sales followed by a special three-year Allianz Management Trainee Program which brought me to other Allianz offices in Munich, Leipzig and Frankfurt, as well as overseas to the Allianz Reinsurance Branch Asia Pacific in Singapore. The posting to Singapore gave me exposure to the international diversity within the Allianz Group.
Before arriving in Singapore I wasn’t really sure about what to expect. However, it didn’t take long and I was caught by this cosmopolitan society.
During my time there I was always surprised how a large population of 4.5 million people of different races and religions work, interact, live and practice their religion in harmony in an area smaller than the size of Berlin. This harmonious social coexistence is particularly shown during the public holidays that are representative for the main racial groups but nonetheless are celebrated by all.
At work I volunteered to support the Allianz Staff Committee. Together we organised events like the annual Family Day which merged business with private life and reflected the importance of the family bond in Asian culture. Thus I immersed quite quickly into the community, mingled with the local people, and bravely tried the rich variety of Chinese, spicy Malay and Indian food. Those experiences in cultural diversity were priceless.
I returned to Munich in 2005 to join the Allianz Group’s major change program ‘Sustainability’, the Centre of Competence Claims, where I was responsible for worldwide Best Practice Claims Handling procedures.
Now as a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, I specialize in the management of operational excellence projects at Allianz Re in Munich, dealing also with other Allianz Reinsurance locations in Dublin, Zurich and Singapore. The experience I’ve gathered in the past is indispensable in this environment.
I like my job, because the international possibilities and diversity within the Allianz Group have allowed me to experience not only a variety of roles in different locations but also to work with people from different nationalities, attitudes and perspectives. Being able to develop my career and personality within this diverse framework has been a great source of my daily motivation and I hope that it will further expand my personal as well as professional horizon.
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