Dear Maya,
You have been working at Adnovum in Bern, the city of your birth and heart, since 2023. As a project manager, you are the one who pulls all the strings in the hectic day-to-day business. At the same time, you continue your education. Let’s hear how that's going for you.
Let's start with your first and your current position at Adnovum ...
In May 2023, I started as co-leader of a large project in the role of PO proxy. After about a year, I took over the overall project management, from budget to moderating the daily stand-ups. Currently, I'm leading a team of 14 people. I really appreciate the fact that both my team lead and our client have entrusted me with this challenging task.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
When I arrive at the Bern office, the first thing I do is head for the coffee machine – I can’t get going without a latte. Five to six cups a day is quite common. I then start with the most important to-dos and get an overview before the «daily» with the team begins. The day is packed with meetings with the client, the team, and other Adnovum colleagues. At the end of the day, I take a look at the remaining tasks and then set off for the evening.
Speaking of after work – what about your work-life balance?
That was an issue for me for a long time. I had to learn not to say yes to everything. In my project, the role of Project Management Office, or PMO, was introduced recently, which considerably relieves me in my day-to-day work. Collaboration with this new colleague is just wonderful.
Planning more activities in my spare time provides an ideal counterbalance to work. For example, I very much enjoy live action role-playing, or LARP.
Once I have completed my CAS in project management, I will take a break, because a 90% project management workload and the CAS in addition are very intense.
What motivates you in everyday life?
Clearly: coffee – and my colleagues. The coffee breaks are more than just a short break for me – they are a moment of sharing, laughter, and togetherness. I simply enjoy working with my team; I feel supported because we are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. The client is also great, collaboration is a real pleasure.
Can you give us a few examples of how you have felt supported by Adnovum on your career path?
Adnovum provides financial support for my CAS. Novit, my team lead, places a lot of trust in me and supports me in my day-to-day work. This allows me to try out new things, contribute and realize my own ideas, and make many decisions myself. I really appreciate this freedom of action.
Then there is an important program at Adnovum called Inspiro: project managers from different market units are brought together and exchange ideas as sparring partners. I have already benefited enormously from this and learned a lot!
What has been your biggest success in a project so far?
I am particularly proud of the fact that we have managed to get into a mode where we are able to deploy a new software version in the production environment every three weeks – despite all the challenges in the various project phases. Our work has a direct effect on the end users. Our team works extremely efficiently, and that is a huge success for all of us.
What about diversity in your team?
During a retrospective with the client, we recently noticed that the relationship between women and men in the project is very balanced. This is still unusual in IT. Currently, six women are directly involved in the project team and four more are working in related roles. It just happened that way. We always select team members based on their skills and suitability for the task at hand. This is all the more positive given that our team is so well balanced. It includes people aged 24 to 40 from the Bern, Lausanne, Zurich, and Budapest locations who hold various roles.
Why did you choose Adnovum in 2023?
A colleague of many years told me about the relaxed corporate culture – that mistakes are seen as learning opportunities and a positive feedback culture is practiced here. I had a very positive interview with two team leaders and immediately felt at ease. It was a conversation at eye level and very empowering for me. I actually really like the culture, I also spend a lot of time with my colleagues in my private life.
What does it mean to you to be part of Adnovum?
I felt welcome right from the start. It’s fun to work with the people here. It doesn’t feel like «I have to work», but like «I want to work». We organize many things in the Bern office ourselves.
How has the world of work changed in the last two to three years with regard to equality?
Today, the framework conditions in many industries are more specifically tailored to the needs of women – e.g., part-time work and childcare – and no longer need to be specifically promoted. This is a major change.
What challenges do you face in your leadership role?
I’ve already had to prove myself in special ways – both to clients and internally. A project manager at the client initially thought I was too young and had rather low expectations of me. After I had proven my skills, he said he would work with me again any time. I am very direct and transparent, I question things and ask again if I don’t understand something. This is the only way I can make good decisions.
What advice would you give other women in IT?
Be confident, stand up for yourselves, position yourselves, and take care of other women. It is important that we see and support each other. When we share our experiences and strengthen each other, real solidarity is created. When we experience solidarity among women, many things become easier and we can grow together.
Thank you, Maya, for this inspiring conversation! We wish you continued success with your project team and hope you complete your CAS with great results.
