Markus Haupenthal

FROM PARTICIPATING…

In 2013 I took part in the workshop CEO for 2 days. 2 days, where students take on the role of CEO in a business simulation. The round was really nice, the colleagues from SSCO were surprisingly relaxed and I immediately felt very comfortable.
That was why I decided to do an internship at Stern Stewart in 2014. And afterwards, there was absolutely no doubt left - it was natural for me to join as an Associate in 2016. I was still doing my Ph.D., but thanks to the flexible way of working and a great team, that was no problem at all.
My first project experience was quite a ride… We supported our client in various topics: starting with a turnaround situation, followed by revising the organizational footprint to finally completely redesigning the finance function. You couldn’t get to know an organization better!

…TO LEADING!

By now I am a vice president. In this position, I lead the workshop CEO for 2 days. So I'm back where I started – just on the other side.
I guess that is the most convincing story one could tell: 8 years ago, I was sitting exactely where you are sitting now…

Charlotte Fontaine

From stories to real life

My brother already worked as Associate at Stern Stewart when I was still in midst of my studies. Clearly, I had the best insights into the company you can have. His storys about the compelling projects, the engagement in Africa, the teamspirit… All that made Stern Stewart my first choice and I am still very happy with this decision.
Jumping right into it…
Before starting as an Associate, I completed my Bachelor studies at the University of Mannheim and my Master in Management at the ESCP Europe. Internships in large corporations, start-ups and consultancies - I really used the time to gain as diverse experiences as possible.
Then the first day at Stern Stewart came. And the adventure started: Onboarding, laptop, mobile phone, tools, buddy…and in the afternoon I was sitting in the plane to Vienna to support my new team members at my first project.
I really enjoy that I was given responsibility from day 1. This is what makes our company so special: There are no limits to what you can achieve. And numerous opportunities to shape our company - like I am doing as a proud member of our recruiting team.

• My career at Stern Stewart started as an Associate in early 2017
• Recent projects: Support in overhead cost reduction of a large oil and gas group; restructuring of a media company and optimization of the sales set-up in the electronics industry
• Hobbies: travelling and doing adventurous activities like Bungee Jumping or sky diving and of course diving, skiing and hiking across the alps

„Working for Stern Stewart - a kind of family business for me…“
- Charlotte Krönig

Johannes Thiemann

I’ve been looking for freedom…

Freedom was my best friend during my twenties… I worked as a freelance consultant for eight years - even during my studies. After I returned from working in the USA, I got a request from a strategy boutique to support in a pitch for a big energy supplier. We didn't win it in the end, but it was how I met the Stern Stewart team for the first time.
There were a few more projects I supported SSCO in and after half a year, I got a call from a partner. He asked me if I wanted to be part of the team – and since I already felt part of the team my decision was easy. I had been playing with the idea of joining a company, but I didn't want to get lost in the machinery of a big consulting company. The small team of Stern Stewart working with top companies in large, exciting projects was exactly what I wanted. So I agreed - and I haven't regretted that in any way so far. Now, as a Vice President myself I enjoy seeing how many young, motivated colleagues join us every year. I am delighted to help them find their way around and see how they grow with their challenges.

Work hard, travel hard

Although I don't live in Munich, our team gives me enough freedom to balance work and family life. Working hours can be very intense, but in return I also have a lot of freedom to take time off when needed to make my family life work out.
I noticed all this when my daughter was born. I went on extended parental leave for several months and drove our VW Bus across Southern Europe with my wife and the four-month-old infant - from off-roading in the Alps to trying to learn how to surf at the Atlantic coast.

About me

• Hobbies: Biking (in summer), skiing (in winter), running (when on project), exploring the world with wife and daughter (when not on project).
• Degree in: Joint diploma in Business administration and electrical engineering (Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing.)!

My career at Stern Stewart:

Started as a freelance consultant in 2016

Teresa Reich

My way to SSCo: Mannheim, Munich, Burkina Faso, London, ...

When I got to know Stern Stewart at the career fair at the University of Mannheim, I was instantly hooked by their engagement in Africa.

Unsurprisingly, it really didn’t take much for the consultants at the fair to have me apply for the 4+2 internship program, which combines classic strategy consulting in Munich with a stay at one of the social projects in Africa. I was in the final stages of my bachelor's degree and had just started an NGO with friends to build schools in developing countries. So, I could not have asked for consultancy more suitable to my professional as well as private interests.

After 4 high-paced months of consulting in Germany and 2 adventurous months of development aid in Burkina Faso, I immediately started a permanent position as an analyst.
In the time that I spent at Stern Stewart so far, I really learned to appreciate the family spirit across colleagues, the amount of responsibility that you get even as a junior, and the flexibility that the company offers – be it with choosing a domicile or taking a leave.

Now, after a year of full-time consulting, I’m taking a Stern Stewart supported "educational leave" that I spend in London, studying Emerging Economies and International Development. Even during my leave, I am still fully committed to the company’s Africa projects and recruiting and am looking forward to being back full-time soon.

Pavol Sikula

From iron will to iron man…

When I started at Stern Stewart in 2005, I didn’t even have running shoes. But now I can proudly call myself an Ironman…
The idea came up a few years ago, when 2 colleagues and me decided to explore the world of triathlon. We started with our training and some shorter distances such as the pleasant Olympic distance. But mastering the full distance Ironman with 3,8 km swim, 180 km bike and 42,2 km run required a more serious preparation. So I called my mentor Thomas and in only 15 minutes we agreed on a new part-time contract. With one more day off per week, I trained 6-8 hours per week. And I did it: in July 2017 I run and became for the first time an Ironman!

My next (Ad)venture: My first Start-Up

The idea for my next personal challenge struck me when my team and I were working with high pressure on a proposal. We wanted to integrate two slides from a different proposal – but these were in German – we needed them in English and we needed them now. All team members busy, support staff not available on short notice… so I started to translate them by myself. To be faster, I copy-pasted the slide sections to deepl and back… I am impressed by the quality and thought to myself… there must be an automated way for this! Basically, that’s the idea: automating annoying tasks and making them available via a human-like interface. In order to make the idea reality, I could not only count on the support of colleagues and the great network of our company. I took part in our start-up program, including a number of individual trainings, flexible work-time models, full access to the SSCO network and even financial help! What started like an idea is today a product with a huge scalability and potential.
In the meantime, I have my own start-up, which is performing very successfully - but in any case: being a part of Stern Stewart was an invaluable experience and I am more than grateful to be part of a family that fully supports me in living my dreams.

About me

• Hobbies: spending time with my wife and 2 sons, triathlon, travelling (Azores on top of the list)
• Degree in Corporate Finance (University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia) and International Finance Management ( Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg)

Raphael Asamer

From Vienna via Leipzig to Munich:

After living in Vienna for 25 years, HHL Leipzig offered new perspectives with its master's program. As co-organizer of one of the student initiatives, the European Ivy League, I first came into contact with Stern Stewart. The openness and cooperation during the preparation of the event convinced me directly. This impression was reinforced during the event and the experiences of SSCO colleagues, who reported exciting and varied projects.

The positive impressions led me to complete the application process already one year before my planned internship. Four months for a project in the packaging industry, a six-week stay at the BIT in Burkina Faso, and many colleagues who have since become good friends ensured that I decided to join SSCO and start as an Associate at the end of 2019.

From the packaging industry to the industrial sector to an automotive supplier, I was able to experience the project diversity at SSCO live within my first 1.5 years and am already excited about what the coming years will bring.

Konstantin Wrona

„So many independent minds with empowerment - That impresses me as partner day by day“

Targets at that time…

17 years ago…I completed my study at the University of Jena and started as young Associate at Stern Stewart. At that time Stern Stewart was very small – 15 employees (now almost 100). One of our biggest targets (more than today) was to grow. In every respect…My personal challenge was the international part – establish the brand Stern Stewart in the Middle East. We had a small project in Dubai where I was staffed. After we had finished our work there, it was not only the end of an project. It was also a beginning: together with my colleagues, I really succeded in creating a strong network in the region.

…Targets today

To be part of the Stern Stewart Story makes me very proud. My target as recruiting partner today is to find the right people for our company to keep on growing. And I couldn’t think of a better way to shape our company.
To see the development of our Associates from their frist step in our office on the interviewday until now…it makes me proud to have such a great impact on the future of our firm!

About me

Dipl.- Kfm. in International Management, Controlling, Marketing & Intercultural Communication at the University of Jena

Bachelor in European Business, International Management, Controlling and Finance at the University of Cambridge

Hobbies: Tennis, golf, travelling

Jennifer Reed

From CEO workshop participant to associate

During my studies in Mannheim, I got to know SSCO at the Career Fair. In the spring of 2016, I applied for the 'CEO for 2 Days' workshop and together with 11 other participants spent two exciting days at the Munich office. During the workshop, I noticed that at SSCO people are developed and challenged individually. Moreover, I was impressed right away with the familiar atmosphere in the company which is why I applied for the position of associate after the workshop.

• My career at Stern Stewart started as an associate in early 2016
• Recent projects: Market launch in the lighting industry, cost reduction program at an oil and gas company
• Hobbies: travelling, running and exploring my new hometown of Munich
• University degree in business administration from Mannheim and a Master's degree in marketing, strategy and innovation from London

„Thanks to the 'CEO for 2 Days' Workshop, I gained some real insight into the company and felt integrated right from the start. In just two months I went from being a workshop participant to a colleague.“
- Jennifer Reed

Dimitri Belobokov

Classical music instead of a classic resume…

I think I inherited my enthusiasm for music from my father, who is a pianist. I was born and raised in Moscow. After my school education I graduated as a conductor from the state conservatory of music. Of course, this period was also very exciting due to changes in my home country and due to the fall of the iron curtain. I witnessed the emergence of democracy and a developing market economic system. This ignited my interest in business correlations. During a concert tour I got to know and fall in love with Germany, which is why I continued my studies in business administration in Stuttgart, which I had started in Moscow. Then came a time when I had to play different roles: language student, student, choir master, intern and student trainee in a large automotive supplier, consultant intern and working on my diploma thesis within the company, and finally, a young professional! As diverse as my interests were, so was my position as a consultant with Stern Stewart...

Consulting lives on personalities!

I was very lucky to contribute to the growth of our company while developing my own personal growth at the same time. In the meantime I am not only a consultant, but I have also become a partner. I consider myself extremely lucky to have the opportunity to be a key player in our company. As head of human resource development, I support young colleagues, which is for me one of the "noblest" jobs: meeting highly diverse people, working together on specific weaknesses and promoting strengths, and accompanying young colleagues as they grow. From my own personal experience, I can say that it is especially the individual CVs, and not the mainstream ones, that give our consultants their own personality and make our company something special for ourselves and for our clients.

About me:

• Trained as a conductor in Moscow (Russia)
• Studied business management and computer science at the University of Stuttgart and the University of Economics in Moscow (Russia)

My career at SSCO:

• Began working at Stern Stewart in 2001
• Since 2010, partner and also co-owner
• Focus: Expert for the development of financial control systems, for the development and implementation of initiatives for performance enhancement and cash generation as well as for restructuring and program management issues

Uta Stratmann

How I met…Stern Stewart!

I first met Stern Stewart at the ESADE career days, where I did my MBA. I was still employed at another consulting firm, yet open to discover new chances. In a first informal interview with one of our partners, I got curious by his selling story. And already during the recruiting day, talking to seven consultants, I knew that it was more than just selling hot air. Looking back I can say that all promises about Stern Stewart, the atmosphere and the projects were kept.
I expected a family atmosphere, exciting projects at top level and nice colleagues, and that’s exactly where I find myself now. From the very first moment, I was 100 percent integrated into the team and felt absolutely at ease.

From worthless skills to real impact

Aside from the daily business, I am also part of the ACES team, which runs a business school in Ghana. We help students to make their way into an independent future. How? By developing their own projects and ideas and writing a business plan. We support them as mentors the whole way.
It’s amazing to have an insight into a completely different culture and life situations. The traditional standards that we apply to a project are worthless here. We need to think out-of-the-box in every possible way. By the way something that also labels a good consultant! Visiting those projects in Ghana myself and seeing how young entrepreneurs have been enabled to take a step into a new life was a really rewarding experience.

About me
MSc in International Business from Maastricht University and MBA from ESADE Business School

My career at Stern Stewart:
Started as Senior Associate in 2017, promoted to Manager in 2018

Recent project:
Lead team of five (senior) associates helping a tier-one automobile supplier to bring innovation project back on track

Timo Haug

Starting as an intern

I immediately got the Stern Stewart DNA injected: flat hierarchies, great team spirit, working in a network of bright and diverse people and exciting challenges on the projects. After receiving an offer to work for Stern Stewart full-time as an Associate I knew that this is the ideal way to kick-start my career. Similar to my internship my first months at Stern Stewart were packed with tons of challenges, supporting colleagues trusting your judgement and an entrepreneurial “can do” attitude. I have gained diverse experience on international scale (e.g., USA and Mexico): from packaging to chemicals… from strategy to reorganization… from client cases to TSSI project work for our alphabetization program in Burkina Faso…

By now

I work as a Vice Manager for the firm and I still love my job and the environment supporting me to grow every day. I am more than happy to also share my experience with our younger colleagues and help them tackling all challenges. Because starting as an intern I know where they have been.

About me
Hobbies: hiking, golf, soccer (in summer), skiing (in winter), art, exploring the world
Master in Finance at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main