Why learn alone when learning together makes you smarter? The Burda Academy is a platform for all Burda employees who want to support and help each other advance.
The Catalysts program offers the opportunity to network with other executives, gain new inspiration for your own leadership style, and actively shape the future of the Burda universe. Participants in the program are called “Catalysts” because they initiate, inspire, and accelerate significant change. The insights gained by the Catalysts and the exchange among them create a common understanding of leadership at Burda in everyday work.
When asked what constitutes good leadership for the program participants, three characteristics clearly emerged:
Clear expectations of the team are essential here, as Jens Oleschkewitz, Director of Procurement at HC Touristik GmbH, explains. Galina Kourri, Optical Director Elle, Burda Hearst Publishing GmbH, also emphasizes how important it is to provide guidance and background information for the team. With a clear strategy and vision, employees can understand how they can support and where the journey should lead.
“The Burda Catalysts program is special to me in two ways: On the one hand, it helps us managers develop a common understanding of leadership. On the other hand, this program includes elements that help me personally, especially the topic of ‘self-reflection,’” emphasizes Heidi Lüttgens, Director FactField. Self-reflection enables managers to develop a better understanding of their own actions and to listen actively. It is important to put the spotlight on employees and not on yourself, says Pea Schubert, Head of Operations Publishing Premium News, BurdaVerlag.
“Especially in today's world, managers need to be particularly open to new ideas, technologies, formats, and platforms,” explains Christiane Lahr, Head of Corporate Tax at Hubert Burda Media. Marie Stephan, CFO at BurdaInternational, emphasizes that a healthy culture of learning from mistakes is important if you want to proactively shape the future. Like his colleagues, Matthias Fuchs, Director of Editorial Content at BurdaStudios, considers this topic to be very important and aptly summarizes it with the word “agility.”
One program, many voices—but the consensus is always the same: The Catalysts program helps our managers at Burda demonstrate the best possible leadership:
On September 11, Catalysts will be presented to the UKEXA Awards jury in a 15-minute online presentation. The background to this is that the Catalysts program has been nominated for the “Best Learning & Development / Employee Experience Journey” award.
Since 2014, the UK Employee Experience Award (UKEXA™) has been recognizing companies that are particularly committed to outstanding initiatives in the area of “employee experience.” These programs not only promote company growth, but also make organizations more attractive to new talent and existing employees.
The award ceremony will take place on September 17 in London. We are keeping our fingers crossed for Julia Menninga, Head of Organizational and Personnel Development, and Dr. Tanja Erlmaier, HR Manager Leadership and Development, who are responsible for the program!
For more information about our benefits relating to continuing education, click here.
