From when to when did you work at Detecon? What was your position?
I actually spent two stations at Detecon. From 2007 to 2009 in the US office in San Francisco and then again from 2017 to 2019 in Germany. During my time in the U.S., I spent most of the time at the client Yahoo!, where I assisted to build important strategic partnerships for the then still very new mobile Internet business. For example with smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, LG or Motorola. The most exciting project was the introduction of mobile search and mobile advertising services in the partnership of Yahoo! and AT&T. At that time, Yahoo! was the leader and many things were "world-first". 10 years later at Detecon in Germany I was the long-term project manager of the Detecon team in the European Aviation Network (EAN) project at Deutsche Telekom. A revolutionary product in which fire-band Internet for aircraft is made possible by a Europe-wide LTE network. One that points up into the sky. Nothing like this had ever existed before. Again world-first.
What were the most exciting Detecon moments for you?
During my time in the US, it was definitely the circumstance to see how the then still young smartphone and mobile internet business took off. At that time, the telecommunication and mobile internet expertise from Europe was in great demand (today, Silicon Valley itself sets the tone worldwide for these services). With Detecon, we were one of the few consulting firms that managed to get a foot into the door of a major tech player from the Valley. At my last stop, the most exciting moment was at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona 2018, when a live HD video call to Manuel Neuer was made via the new EAN network in an airplane flying over Germany. Till today, this is a hot topic at Telekom.
What company do you work for today? What is your primary field of work there?
Today I work for Deutsche Telekom and am responsible for communication and storytelling in the staff of Technology & Innovation Board Member Claudia Nemat. Here I can perfectly combine my two passions technology and innovation on the one hand and writing/blogging/social media on the other.
What did you particularly appreciate at Detecon and what do you miss from the "old days"?
I very much appreciated the versatility of Detecon. From my perception of Detecon in Germany during my time in the Valley ("very traditional") and after the move to Cologne 10 years later, it was a world of difference. I found it really great to be part of a fairly diverse workforce. Many great colleagues, young and older, much more female than 10 years before and of course very international. Great people and many exciting projects and freedom to develop them. Plus: the really inspiring office environment in Sternengasse.
In which three hashtags do you describe Detecon?
#geeksatwork
#techrulez
#changestartswithme
