Our Women in Digital Switzerland member for April is Andrea Wieseke, Managing Director of Ogury. She only recently joined WDS and we are very happy to have her. She tells her story of how she found her career path. It's not always the first choice, that might be the right one. But if you are open and curious, the experiences along the way can lead to an impressive career, such as Andreas.
Hi, my name is Andrea Wieseke, 48 years and in Switzerland since almost 4 years. Originally I am from the north of Germany, a town called Greifswald. Before moving to Zurich, I spent 11 years in Vienna working in Digital on Agency side. I started my career at Google, where I worked and lived in Dublin, San Fran and Hamburg. As you can guess by now, travelling is a passion of mine.
How long have you been a member of WDS? I just joined WDS recently, but have been interested to do so for while and followed its activities. What was your first interaction with WDS and how was it for you? I first got to know about WDS through my colleague Jeanette Pots. What was the reason you joined WDS? There were several reasons to join. 1st one is the possibility to connect with other women across Switzerland. 2nd is the exchange within the network and exploring the full range of Digitalisation in different sectors/industries. And 3rd being part of a growing platform that enables others and creates space for growth.
Tell us something about you that might surprise us!
After high school I wanted to become a flight attendant. As my English was not great, I became an AuPair in New York. I realized when flying that I might not be the best help in the air, so that career was off the table. I decided to do something in advertising, rather the creative work then data part. That was not easy at all, but step by step my way brought me to where I am now. In my case, the journey is the destination.
Of which professional achievement are you especially proud of? I think it is more the journey and how one experience leads to another that I am proud of. I am proud to have lived and experienced different places and companies, which have fueled me with energy and still drive my decisions in life to this day.
Are there many women in your industry? Why is that or why not? It depends from which angle you look at it. In generell there are plenty of women in the field when it comes to digital marketing, but rather in the executional work. So in a bottom up kind of view, yes. Upper management positions are still taken by men. It's changing, surely but slowly!
Which aspect of your industry might interest other women to start work in this field? Most women are not drawn to technology related jobs. I guess that lies still in the way we have been brought up! But technology is related to pretty much everything in the everyday life. Maybe try and look at it from that angle. Once you understand the first bits, the rest comes easier. So don't be afraid. Find a mentor and just start!
Which future trend is the most interesting in your opinion? This is not an easy question. There are so many trends and some disappear faster than they have been noticed. What we see though, is the transformation of how we work. More automation, high probability of a 4 day work week, office spaces that will move into the metaverse. In general, you can say that the classic career has had its day, and the question of meaning is coming to the fore.
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