You have made interesting career moves and have so far worked in 5 different industries. What are the most distinctive lessons you have learned?
I started as a strategy consultant at Bain & Company, and after that, I have been in telecom, insurance, travel, and most recently in e-commerce.
My most distinctive lesson is undoubtedly that each industry has challenges and opportunities that are specific to that industry, but above all, also that much is similar. A lot can definitely be applied between different industries. It is important to understand early on what is complex in the industry you are in, but also to draw parallels from previous lessons.
My experience is definitely that it is powerful to mix up the teams. I have not only changed industries myself, but I have also actively looked for mixed backgrounds in recruitments. All teams, of course, require sufficient robust industry knowledge at the base, but not everyone needs to possess it, but here different perspectives trump in my opinion.

We meet people daily who want to do something new in their career - a career change. What advice do you have for them?
The first industry change is the most difficult. Here, my most important advice is to be active! I have been a driving force in many of my changes, I have actively sought out recruiters or the recruiting company and pitched why I am relevant even though I do not have experience from that specific industry.
Another piece of advice is to look beyond the industry knowledge in the description of you and your own journey. What are you bringing into a new role? Is it leadership? Sales? Process development? Customer relations? Pricing? What in your profile is universal?
After the first change, it becomes easier. Since my second change, I have been receiving ongoing inquiries from various industries.
If the career change becomes a reality, what is important to think about then?
Be humble and spend a lot of time understanding by listening. Focus on what is new to you from the industry. When I went into e-commerce, physical products were almost completely new to me, so I have spent a lot of time with purchasing and logistics to understand that flow.