I love the creativity of what we do – because with my design team we are shaping how people will experience our appliances in their homes in the future. This is hugely exciting! We’re dealing with the varying needs of people all over the world and finding intelligent answers to those needs. Plus, the fact that we are responsible for so many different categories of appliance – from cooking including ovens, surface and ventilation to dishcare, laundry and cooling – makes our work very diverse. At the same time, our aim is to ensure those products retain a cohesive look and feel across the Siemens portfolio. There’s a responsibility to deliver on intelligent, progressives solutions while also maintaining the heritage of the brand, which is both a great challenge and so interesting to me.

I started at Siemens in September 2021 having previously worked for creative consultancies frog and Designworks (a subsidiary of BMW) in the United States and China, as well as in Germany. When COVID hit in February 2020, I was based in Shanghai but it was Chinese New Year, when the whole population of the country is travelling. So, my team of designers was spread out all over the world and I was in Tokyo. However, as a design studio, we had deadlines to meet and needed to continue working. We had to very quickly adjust to the situation, working from all these different locations. And it’s important to remember that remote working is quite normal now, but at that time we were accustomed to working together in one place. I had to lead the team from a Tokyo hotel working on a borrowed laptop! I learned a lot from the experience – the importance of resilience, being agile and flexible, and optimistic that we could make it work.

Exposure to other cultures is so important. It helps you to develop a very holistic mindset, which is vital for designers because we need to understand our consumers and projects from all angles. Working abroad for a time, as I’ve been lucky enough to do, gives you an openness and empathy towards other people and different points of view – it really opens both your mind and your eyes. I would say it’s great for your development both as a designer and as a person.

When you’re young, you think the greatest asset is experience and you have to collect as much as you can. That’s true, but what you don’t see is the value of the fresh thinking that a younger person brings to the table. There’s a certain naivety about thinking anything’s possible and asking ‘why can’t we challenge the status quo?’, and this is very important in the workplace. It’s something young people should be both proud and confident of, and bring that open mind set to the table. Preserve that freshness of thinking even as you gain experience and understand where the limitations are. Make sure you stay curious and never stop learning. Finally, find a good balance between dedication and commitment. It’s important to be passionate about developing in your chosen career, but you should also be mindful of self-care and take time to recharge your batteries.

You have a lot to give and an individual perspective as a female leader, so bring confidence to your role. This is particularly important if your views are different to those of the people around you. Have the confidence to speak up, to be proactive and be heard, to share your ideas and opinions. It might be uncomfortable at times, but as a female leader, you are part of a diverse group of people, so it’s key to bring out your individuality. We should all support each other regardless of gender, but I do think it is so important for female leaders to mentor other women and support the next generation. It can only help in creating the inclusive and diverse work environment that we need in order to be successful overall as a society.

It’s obviously a time when we recognise the progress that has been made towards gender equality. We also celebrate the achievements of the many women around the world who have made big contributions in social, cultural, economic and political fields. That’s tremendous, of course. At the same time, however, I still think we have severe issues. We need to be raising awareness on 8 March of the challenges women are still facing all over the world. There is lack of education, there’s violence, fewer opportunities in the workplace, limited healthcare – and these issues have intensified recently for woman in many countries. So, International Women’s Day is also a reminder that it will take a collective global effort and prioritisation to solve the conflicts.