As Senior Director Learning Culture and Transformation, Dörte is responsible for transforming the Bertelsmann learning culture. Along her career journey, she has become fluent in Swedish, while in Stockholm and other places, and trained as a fitness trainer, out of passion rather than because she wanted to work in this field. Dörte's career headline could be: “If it brings about positive change, do it”.

What did you do before you joined Bertelsmann?

After graduating, I joined the accounting department of one of the Big Four professional services firms. I soon got the opportunity to work for the company in Sweden. It was there that I acquired skills in change management. After seven years in consulting and almost five years abroad, I wanted something new and went to Berlin, where I initially worked for a start-up. About a year later, I started at Zalando, where I set up the internal communications for the operations department. One day, a friend who worked at Bertelsmann called me and said there was the perfect job for me there. I wasn’t really interested in changing jobs, but I took a closer look at the tasks and then received a job offer from Bertelsmann to manage a change project.

So although you didn’t actually apply for the job, you still actively opted for Bertelsmann?

Absolutely. I didn’t really know what to expect, but the project itself turned out to be exactly what a change manager dreams of. I’m someone who prefers to take a leap into the unknown than miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And I’ve not regretted it.

Did you ever think you would one day have the job you have now?

I never expected to be a Senior Director of Learning Culture and Transformation at Bertelsmann. I studied international business administration majoring in strategic management and finance and was initially going in a different direction. But I’m just a curious person and am willing to take on tasks whose coordinates are not fully known. The only thing I planned in my career was my first year in Sweden, where I did my master’s degree. The rest just sort of fell into place.

How would you describe your job to your grandmother?

I help people at Bertelsmann to identify which skills they need to develop for the benefit of the company and for themselves, and why it is important to continuously develop skills. And I am creating the structures and conditions in the company needed to enable lifelong learning.

What is your greatest strength?

The ability to inspire and overcome obstacles. Not being hesitant about taking on challenges, but instead saying: we can do this, let’s make it work.

Entrepreneurship and creativity are at the core of Bertelsmann’s values. What meaning do they have for you?

For me, entrepreneurship means being able to take responsibility for a topic and independently driving it forward. It’s about developing ideas and putting them into practice, and occasionally taking paths that no one has taken before. Creativity is needed in the way we find solutions. Sometimes you just have to take a left turn instead of a right. Risks should always be considered, but shouldn’t slow things down too much.

What do you think makes a good team player?

Flexibility and the willingness to find solutions together. Being able to listen is also important.

What is important to you in developing your career?

I want to enjoy my work, feel passionate about what I do and work with great people. And I want positive change to come about from what I do.