1. what area do you work in and what is your position?
I have been working for the Allianz Group for 26 years now. It is an exciting field of activity that has given me many different positions. Over the years, I have taken on very different functions within various Allianz companies. Today I work as a financial analyst with a global coordination function. This means that I work with colleagues worldwide across time zones.
2 How did you come to join the Office Club?
I'm probably a bit of a special case: a relic from the coronavirus era, so to speak, when my employer insisted on working from home. As I don't want to work from home, I rented a coworking space that I pay for myself. In 2021, I initially had a permanent space with another coworking provider, but it went bankrupt in 2024. So I looked around again and luckily came across Office Club in Munich. The impression was immediately convincing: it took less than two hours from initial contact to signing the contract.
I've been a member since April 1, 2024. I don't need a separate office; my dedicated desk, i.e. a fixed workstation assigned exclusively to me, is completely sufficient.
3. why do you work in a coworking space and not just at your desk at home?
There are several reasons for this. The most important: I work globally - as a financial analyst with a coordination function across several time zones. My day often starts in the morning with colleagues in Sydney and ends in the evening with teams from Chicago. Sometimes those are long days, so I need a clear spatial separation between work and private life. When I close my laptop in the Office Club, it's really the end of the day for me.
Then there's the location: it's within walking distance of my home. This is of course a huge advantage and makes the commute to work extremely relaxed.
And what I would really like to emphasize: the front desk team - especially Daisy Krieger, the location manager. For me, she is the absolute ace of the house: a real bundle of energy, always in a good mood, professional and very attentive. For me, that makes all the difference in the working environment.
4. how well does coworking work for you in your day-to-day work?
Very well! My job profile is ideally suited to coworking. I mainly work in a structured and independent way, a lot of my work is done in writing via email. As I'm not in sales, I don't have long conversations with customers. I regularly take part in Webex meetings, but usually only have short verbal contributions - this can be easily integrated into everyday coworking life without disturbing others.
My colleague, with whom I already shared an office in the previous coworking space and who came to Office Club with me, sits directly opposite me. We have a well-established mode: clear communication, mutual respect. It works really well.
5. when you look back on your career to date: Which station was particularly formative for you - both professionally and personally?
The most intensive and probably also the most formative time in my career was definitely my position in the office of the CEO of Allianz SE, i.e. in the holding company. The tasks there were very varied. In addition to Allianz issues, the range of topics also included politics, sport and culture. New content and requirements came up every day, often interdisciplinary and with a tight timeframe.
This position was incredibly exciting professionally, but also very demanding. I look back on this time with respect and gratitude.
6. was there a particular turning point or challenge in your career that you still remember today?
The move from the Executive Board office back into the ranks, so to speak, remains a special memory for me. The discussions about my 'follow-up assignment' were not so much about my professional qualifications, but rather about proving that I could make the transition from the Bel Etage to the ground floor. That was a very special new experience. But I was soon able to dispel these concerns.
7. which three qualities do you think are crucial for your professional success?
For me, they are quite clear: analytical thinking, assertiveness and the ability to take the occasional hit. You learn the latter over time, it develops over the course of your career, as does dealing confidently with pressure or criticism. With increasing experience and also with age, you develop more composure and therefore more freedom in your actions.
In the end, you are always the sum of all your experiences, decisions and actions. And that is precisely what shapes your own path - both professionally and personally.
8. how do you relax after a long day at work?
For me, culture is the best balance, especially in challenging times like these. This makes it all the more important for me to consciously switch off after work - and Munich offers great opportunities for this.
I regularly go to the theater, opera, concerts or the Literaturhaus. To make this work, it's important for me to have a short commute to work so that I can go to a performance at 7 pm without having to rush halfway across the city. I'm currently particularly enthusiastic about the play "Fremd" at the Münchner Kammerspiele - an impressive one-woman play inspired by Michel Friedman's biographical work. Pure performance, very impressive.
And when I'm "off", I'm really off. My work cell phone is off and I keep my professional and private lives very clearly separate. That's important to me in order to maintain the necessary balance.
Are you also interested in working from home away from your own four walls? Then the coworking solutions from Office Club might be just the thing for you: whether it's a flexible workplace or fixed office space - discover the workspace that prevents your Zoom fatigue and suits you and your needs.
