Everything starts with you: Jürgen Wiese, Partner Program Manager Central Europe at OVHcloud

Jürgen has been working as Partner Program Manager at OVHcloud for two years and looks back at a long career. What do you need when you come back to Germany after living 17 years in America? Obviously, a home and a professional challenge.

So, tell us what made you come back to Germany after 17 years living in America.

Jürgen: That’s simple. My daughter wanted to?go to medical school in Germany. Her, my wife and I are German natives. As my career evolved, I decided to relocate to the US for a short time but ended up working there for 17 years for various companies and at different locations. We are adventurous and welcome change, so we decided to return to Germany.

Wow, that must have been a bit of a cultural shock returning to Germany after such a long time, right?

Jürgen: Yes, America and Germany are worlds apart. So many cultures live and work together side by side and people there are very open-minded. It’s easy to get in touch, even if you don’t speak the language well at first to navigate through the professional- and daily live. Back in Germany things are at a smaller scale and it took a while to adjust and truly settle down again after such a long time abroad in such a big country.

You worked for Microsoft in the US. How does the American corporate culture differ from the European one?

Jürgen: Professional Life is faster in America, you get thrown in at the deep end and start working on a global scale on international projects. It’s tough at first, but exciting as well learning a lot in a very short period. It’s the mentality of “falling forward“, meaning that even if you fall, figuratively speaking, you get up again since failures are part of evolving in your professional career. Entrepreneurial spirit is key, new ideas or innovations are always welcome. I got the impression that within a company competition is stiffer, though. You might start with a colleague on the same project or at the same position in a team based on the qualification or results it is then decided who is ?the better fit for this remit. It’s called “acting“, meaning you act as if you had been accepted permanently for the job and show how you would fulfil the role.

That sounds exciting and it’s good to achieve results fast, right?

Jürgen: True. On the other hand, thinking things through and implementing them strategically sometimes is a good thing, too. Often the German mentality plays a role here. But it’s case-by-case, of course. There are many ways leading to success.

What made you join OVHcloud? Our company isn’t that well-known in Germany yet.

Jürgen: Interestingly the OVHcloud brand came across every once in a while in the US, although I had no clear idea about it given that the hyperscalers dominate the market there. Back in Germany I took an interest in the European cloud market and got curious about OVHcloud. The job description of the Partner Program Manager was absolutely intriguing. I applied right away. At first I just wanted to learn more about it, then I was very much impressed about the role and the aspects of growth. We quickly agreed to meet for job interviews to elaborate further. The entire recruitment process was very professional, and the recruiter always got back to me very quickly. Everything was done remotely due to the covid pandemic, but I felt like I belonged at once.

What was it like for you to be the new senior team member?

Jürgen: It always takes both sides. Despite my experience I don’t see myself as omniscient. I keep an open mind and life-long learning is part of it, enjoying to develop new skills and adopt to new technologies. ?Oftentimes companies won’t hire more senior employees. OVHcloud is the exact opposite. This company lives and encourages diversity in all areas, it is not just an empty phrase. People meet you on an equal footing here, the tone is respectful and there’s a lot of fun, too. I was immediately part of the team (#oneteam ) and involved in every aspect of the work.

What are your plans for the future, then?

Jürgen: I want to support OVHcloud in this exciting journey to drive further growth. I’d also like to contribute my skills and experience to extend the Partner network and create real value and drive success with and for our partners. As long as I’m enjoying my work at a company showing such potential I’ll happily continue working. At some point, though, who knows, I might go back to the US and focus on my many plans for that future stage of my life. I can’t really imagine retiring ever and certainly not standing still of my own accord.?

Favourite food: Tiramisu

Country last travelled to: USA/Florida

Favourite TV show: Snowpiercer series

Thank you, Jürgen. We’ll be delighted to have you with us for as long as possible. ??

If you are interested in joining the OVHcloud adventure and doing amazing things together, it starts here: https://careers.ovhcloud.com/