“At Capco, you do not need to be a certain age for a certain role. Only performance counts.”

I had only applied to law firms after law school, but then I met an old acquaintance who was working at Capco. As he talked about his job, I decided to take a closer look. That was in 2014, and I have not regretted that step. 

Since then, I have already climbed four steps of Capco's career ladder and am now two positions below Partner level. Another highlight is a complex change management project I led at a bank, which has recently won an award. I am particularly proud of that.

Each promotion confirmed that people realize how much value I place on good work. The last one, last year, however, was unexpected. With a week's notice, my supervisor informed me that he would be happy to receive a case for my application to move up to Managing Principal. Capco actively encouraged me in my career. 

As a young and female manager, self-confidence is certainly an important quality. But what I have come to realize is that people value my competence and my skills. Also, at Capco, you do not need to be a certain age for a certain role. Only performance counts. The past few years have clearly proven to me that these are not just words, but reality.

Our industry is still dominated by men, and that is how it has grown historically. Fortunately, the change in thinking is already taking place noticeably. In my view, it is even more important that genders now work together to make progress. Over time, I have made some of my male teammates aware that they often treat their female colleagues differently than they do their male colleagues. Since then, many have begun to notice the differences. It is often the male colleagues themselves who notice missteps and react to them - a significant development, in my opinion. Another sign of change is that companies like Capco are actively promoting a culture of discussion that questions what many used to take for granted. This shows that they take this issue seriously and are keeping up with the times.
Capco is making a constructive effort to really bring the often-heard term ‘diversity’ to life. For me, this also includes the many activities and contribution opportunities available to us as employees. For example, I have for a long time been involved in a corporate social responsibility project and I find it incredibly meaningful. Every year, we organize a children's party for a social enterprise in Frankfurt's Gallus district. 

We also offer our employees a wide range of benefits. Recently, I took part in an Oxford University Leadership Program with a few other female colleagues, which Capco has made possible for us. The program was specifically tailored to women, and it was exciting to exchange experiences with other female leaders from around the world. 

While it is true that I work a lot, I do not feel pressured to do so - I just really enjoy my job. And I also know that this is not for nothing. I do not have children yet, but this may change, in which case I would not want to sacrifice family planning for my job. Fortunately, I know I would not have to. Many of my colleagues who are already mothers work fewer hours while also managing family commitments, thanks to Capco’s flexible options.

I am convinced that companies can only be credible if they actually live their aspirations. This means, for example, not just talking about women in management, but having female leaders. I can imagine myself becoming a Partner at some point, but it is still a few years away. At Capco, there are already several women in management positions, but there could be more. It is encouraging that we are heading in the right direction, and I am eager to see what happens next.