DUP UNTERNEHMER: You were appointed to the Ottobock Supervisory Board at the age of 20. Did you initially feel that you were being taken seriously?
Georgia What: Many employees placed a lot of trust in me right from the start. From the outside, it’s sometimes difficult to understand how tight you are with his family business is connected. People talked regarding the company at breakfast in the morning and didn’t stop until they went to bed at night. That’s why I like to joke that I have 25 years of Ottobock experience within me. But seriously: I didn’t have many years of professional experience, but my knowledge of Ottobock made up for it.
Your father Hans Georg is the owner – was it clear to you from the start that you too would play a leading role in the family business?
What: My sister and I were always free to decide whether we wanted to get involved in the family business or not. It was clear to me early on that I saw my future at Ottobock – especially following spending more and more time with the people who our products help in their everyday lives. I experienced many emotional moments and was told stories that make it clear how important mobility and health are for the freedom and quality of everyday life and what a positive contribution we as a company can make. That makes me happy and proud.
What advice did your father give you before you started at Ottobock?
What: My father had a great influence on me, for which I am very grateful. Above all for his trust and the freedom he always gave me. This is not a matter of course in entrepreneurial families. Above all, he advised me not to be afraid of new challenges and to have confidence in myself. Even if you fall flat on your face, get back up, keep going and don’t take yourself too seriously. At the same time, he also reminds me more often to take good care of myself when the pace is high. I’ll gladly return the tip.
In addition to your work at Ottobock and the founding of your start-up Maluwa Superfoods, you have also completed your Masters in Business Administration and Innovation in Health Care. How did you cope with this triad in your early twenties?
What: In retrospect, I sometimes ask myself that too. I think the most important thing is good organization, the right prioritization and, above all, time management in order to get everything under one roof. My calendar is essential – I’m totally lost without it. I often had the feeling that I wanted to invest more time in individual topics, and sometimes I was torn between tasks. It took a lot of discipline and energy. And you have to learn to say no sometimes.
To what extent did Maluwa Superfoods help you prepare for the complex tasks at Ottobock?
What: we are with Flowers started at the very beginning. We had to redo many things that have been established at Ottobock for decades from scratch. The spectrum ranged from meetings with the food authority, the design of the website, regulatory requirements and price calculations to sales. I never thought I would know so much regarding organic certification or food labeling requirements in my life.
What specific insights did you gain from this time?
What: Ultimately, it is clear to me that every problem can be solved somehow. This is now deeply anchored in me as my greatest learning. We actually had a lot of moments where I was like, ‘ok, that’s it’. But every entrepreneur is certainly familiar with these moments of doubt. But if you think solution-oriented and positively, you will always find a solution together. And often you only need a few employees and hardly any budget. Everyone has to be very hands on and flexible. But if you overcome challenges together, then that’s really good for team spirit.
Do you have an example of such a life-threatening moment where you assumed failure?
What: A competitor showed up one day – with the same product, very similar branding and the same name. That was a shock and would have become a problem if we hadn’t registered Maluwa as a trademark early on. Fortunately, it turned out that the thorough preparation before the launch paid off and we were able to defend our product.
What skills does a young person need to have as a manager in a global corporation?
What: A manager must be able to listen if they want to offer employees stability and freedom. Having confidence in yourself and your abilities is even more difficult for young leaders than for more experienced ones – but you grow into it. At first I admired people who had a direct answer to every question. I now know that this is not necessary at all. It is much more important to ask the right questions and to let people with different perspectives have their say.
Do you see a difference between the behavior of young women and men in this regard?
What: Men often seem more dominant than women in their appearance. But that has more to do with socialization and the male understanding of roles in groups than with professional skills. Women often seem more withdrawn, not so loud, and weigh up decisions better. It is all the more important to treat everyone with respect and above all to listen to them. Diversity in gender, age and cultural background is essential. In diverse teams we can share different perspectives, rethink concepts and ultimately make the best decision together.
You are now 25 years old and have already experienced more than most people achieve in a lifetime – what are your personal goals for the future?
What: At the moment I mainly have professional goals – and the variety of topics is great. My feeling is that things are just getting started. If I can experience and learn just as much in the next 25 years of my life as I did in the first few years, then I have good hope that I will achieve my personal goal: not to lose the enjoyment of my work.
Looking back: What would you have liked to have known at the beginning of your professional career?
What: In summary, four concrete things come to mind: First, not to despair in difficult situations and to see them as an opportunity. These are the moments when you learn and grow the most. Second, that it’s perfectly okay to accept help and that you don’t have to or shouldn’t do everything yourself. Thirdly, that most problems and conflicts arise from a lack of communication and can only be resolved once more through talks. And fourth, that a healthy mindset is more important than experience, because that comes with time anyway. But feel free to ask me once more in five to ten years.
What are your visions for Ottobock?
What: In the past, the focus was exclusively on products. Today we act according to the motto “Product centric to human centric”: We see innovation and technology as added value for our users. My vision is that we empower even more people worldwide so that they can live the life they want with all the freedom – especially in the area of mobility – and with increased self-confidence. I want us to be a company that celebrates life. We are doing just that with our global campaign “Life is epic!”.