Kathy Keppeln, CAO MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group

You have held management positions in various companies in recent years. What are you particularly proud of?

All the companies I've worked for so far have been large, international companies – like MediaMarktSaturn. This size gave me many opportunities to develop myself further. The companies are usually broad-based and you can try things out. I took advantage of these opportunities: I worked in Germany and abroad, in business and corporate functions. This gave me a comprehensive picture of how companies work. I was also able to apply this knowledge when I switched from the world of finance to retail after 25 years. What am I particularly proud of in this context? I jumped over my own shadow and sometimes into the deep end. It wasn't always easy, but these experiences have always helped me enormously.

What moment in your career has had a particular impact on you?

After 16 years in business at a large German bank, I wanted to work more strategically. I made a conscious decision to switch to Corporate Functions – i.e. from Business to Administration. I was about to be promoted at my old job and was to be given a larger area of responsibility. On the other hand, my boss had to cut staff from his team as part of a restructuring program. To my boss's surprise, I volunteered for this without knowing whether I would even find a new role. I was very progressive on the way to the new role. I asked a lot of managers - including many I didn't even know personally – for an interview. I had lots of great conversations and also expanded my network enormously as a result. Everything worked out very well in the end and I was able to move into a great new role internally. That shows: Courage pays off when making career moves – even in difficult situations.

What tip would you like to give women who want to start at MMS?

In the end, it's always how much effort you put into yourself and your development that counts. Be courageous and proactive! Believe in yourself and jump over your shadow. Look for supporters and build up a network.