When you think about your own career: Is it more zigzagging or straightforward? Traditional career paths and linear ladders of advancement are becoming less and less common in today's workplace. Many employees value their personal growth and new experiences, and often non-straight-line careers emerge from a combination of coincidences, opportunities and personal choices that lead to new directions. That's exactly how it was for our interviewee of the month. Three different educations, a formative trip around the world and a lot of valuable experiences brought her to her current position. Detours have helped her to get to know herself better and to discover what her heart really beats for.
Always fascinated by tourism and the world of the hotel industry, Stefanie Freitag began her professional career with an apprenticeship as a hotel manageress, where she discovered her passion for organization and customer service. Here she liked the fact that no two days were the same and she had the opportunity to meet very many different people and characters. During her training at the hotel, she went through all the departments and realized that she wanted to work in a commercial direction from then on. This was followed by a second training as a state-certified commercial assistant in foreign languages and correspondence with a focus on trade fair, congress and event management. Here she came into closer contact with the field of accounting and discovered her enthusiasm for numbers and analysis. Driven by the goal of gaining a long-term foothold in accounting, she seized the opportunity to build up a newly created position as an accounting and reservations assistant at a 5-star hotel. Finally, a 10-month trip around the world gave her the impetus to complete training as a financial accounting specialist, including SAP certification.
From clerk to management function to her current position as CFO and Head of HR, she passed through various positions in different industries. As a result, in addition to a broad range of skills and knowledge, she developed a holistic understanding of work processes and interrelationships, which is very valuable in her current role. At the Dr. E. Graeub AG Stefanie Freitag wears several hats. Not only is she responsible as CFO for the financial well-being of the company, which produces quality veterinary products, but as Head of HR she is also responsible for that of her up to 70 employees. Tradition, global networking and local customer proximity is of great importance to the more than 100-year-old company in the animal health business. The company, which has been part of the international LIVISTO Group since 2006, is therefore also investing in its production site in Berne. Animal welfare is just as important to the company as the welfare of its employees. One special feature, for example, in addition to the popular team events, is the opportunity to have a massage every two weeks.
As a member of the management team, it is important to Stefanie Freitag to do justice to both aspects of her dual role, which sometimes resembles a balancing act. But she gladly accepts this challenge because - just like when she started in the hotel business - she needs a lot of variety and the mix of rather dry numbers and the lively exchange with people is exactly what suits her. Her career shows how, with determination and curiosity, you can build a career that is individual and unique. An important observation if you ever feel stuck on your career path: it's never too late to change direction. Learn more about our "Person of the Month" in the interview.
Ms. Freitag, if you had taken a different path when you were younger, what would you have become?
"I would probably be exactly where I am now. I made a conscious decision at a young age to train as a hotel manager, because I found it difficult to say in my early 20s after school which direction I wanted to go in my professional life. At Graeub, I now have the perfect job that combines my two passions: working with numbers and with people."
What is your favorite way to start your day?
"My favorite way to start my day is very early in the morning with a cup of coffee at sunrise on the terrace. I'm an absolute morning person and enjoy the moment when nature comes to life and, especially in summer, everything smells so nice and fresh."
What does success mean to you personally?
"For me, success means first and foremost being happy and in harmony with myself. It's usually the little things in life that make you happy. So after a hard day's work, I can also see small successes that motivate me and give my work a meaning. And if once not everything goes according to plan: Failures are also successes, because you can learn from them and do things differently next time."
What would you work for free for a week?
"I would work for free for a week for a good cause. It could be a variety of things that benefit children or animals."
What was the best professional advice you ever received?
" "Detours also lead to the goal". This advice has often proved true for me. I have taken a lot for life from these detours and I don't regret a single one of them."
We would like to sincerely thank Ms. Freitag for her contribution to this article.
This interview was conducted in writing.
Batterman Consulting Basel AG
Executive Search,
Byfangweg 1a, CH-4051 Basel
T +41 58 680 55 55
basel@batterman.ch
