Interview with Sylvia, Head of IT Strategy, Processes and Project Management

Our colleague Sylvia will give you an insight into the world of digitalization. She joined Continental in 2005 by chance. Today she is Head of IT Strategy, Processes and Project Management at Continental. In her career, she has become acquainted with many areas of the corporation and has always been able to develop further as an IT professional. Today, she sees companies like Continental as exciting fields of activity for people who have completed computer science or IT-related courses of study and have a particular interest in driving digital transformation.

Why did you join Continental 16 years ago?

For me, technology was the main focus. At that time, my interest was in the technology of data warehouse. At Continental, I got the chance to gain practical experience with it. At that time, I was relatively indifferent to the industry.

You are now a manager in the IT sector, which is mostly dominated by men. Do you get special support at Continental as a woman?

In general, diversity is a focus for us, as we believe that diverse teams will come to better results. I am personally committed to supporting women in their IT careers. That's why I'm one of the initiators of our network for women in IT . Our goal is to create a space for exchange and mutual support fostering equal chances and personal development.

What helped you to climb the career ladder?

I really benefited from the fact that we can work very flexibly at Continental. Mobile work was a reality already long before Corona. It makes it easier to combine career and children. If one of the children was sick or I couldn't take a business trip for family reasons, we always found a solution thanks to digital options.

Is that why you stayed at Continental?

It is also important to me that I was always able to develop myself further. I took over many different tasks and worked in different areas of the corporation. I was able to manage interesting projects, get to know new technologies and lead exciting teams. Our corporate values also play an important role for me, because with the freedom to act and trust placed in me, I was able to successfully implement?own ideas and move things forward.

You said that in the beginning you didn't care about the industry. And today?

Today I know that Continental is a very attractive IT employer. Digital transformation is a very important topic for us. We are contributing to the mobility transformation and take sustainability very seriously. A company is much more than its industry or technologies - it is the culture and the people that make the difference. With us, IT talents can find the right role for them, get to know different company divisions and locations, try out the business side or go into depth in technical professions, so at the end they grow and can develop with their tasks

Continental and IT for me is like ………………….

… Sherlock and Watson – One is more in the spotlight, but only together they succeed.

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