Part-time job,full-fledged team member

Balancing Family and Career

Alexandra Krieger is what you might call homegrown talent. She joined thyssenkrupp as a working student in 2011 and has since worked in a wide range of logistics functions at the Mülheim site, from Customer Service to Production Planning and Production Control. After two years of parental leave, Alexandra returned part-time in October 2020.

For her, family and career are not mutually exclusive: as a young mother, Alexandra has recently taken on more responsibility than ever before. Today, she is part of the global Supply Chain Operations team. In the interview, she talks about what drives her at thyssenkrupp and how she balances family life and her career.

What do you make happen at thyssenkrupp?

"As part of the team, I do my bit to achieve greater customer satisfaction, higher quality and a leaner supply chain. In the supply chain area, for example, we try to meet customer orders in the best possible way with the lowest possible level of inventories to tie up as little capital as possible. We have a zero-defect strategy, and we also ensure that the supply chain is kept lean at all points. Our goal at all times is to maximize customer satisfaction – also by being as quick, transparent and flexible as possible in the interests of the customer. We also have a zero-defect strategy in the area of quality. We continuously monitor and optimize the processes in the plant. One of our goals here is to prevent defects from occurring in the first place. We want to be a strong partner to our customers, one they can really trust. Our customers should always be able to rely on us 100 percent."

Is thyssenkrupp underrated?

"I think that thyssenkrupp is still seen by many outsiders as just a big steel company. When I tell people that I work in the automotive business and that we make steering gears for the major OEMs such as BMW, Daimler, but also Ford, Iveco and VW, it takes them completely by surprise. Many people don’t realize that thyssenkrupp is a much broader and more technological company. Also, thyssenkrupp has changed a lot in the last decade, evolving from a supposedly rigid steel goliath into a younger, modern and dynamic company that employees can now identify with even better."

What makes you feel part of the thyssenkrupp family?

"I’ve been with the company for ten years and feel very much at home here. Despite or maybe even because of all the changes, I have great confidence in thyssenkrupp. I’m proud to work for such a big, world-famous and innovative company – even if I’m only a small part of it."

How can family and career be combined at thyssenkrupp?

"Very easily! I was on parental leave for two years and have been back part-time since fall 2020. I’m glad that everything has worked out so well, and especially that I can continue to work on the same tasks in the same team despite my reduced working hours. It was important for me to stay in logistics. My supervisors adjusted the position for me so that it fits my 21-hour working week. I’m very happy to have been given this opportunity. For me, it’s also a sign of respect and appreciation. And that’s why it’s so easy to combine family and career at thyssenkrupp. Despite my reduced working hours, I feel I’m a full-fledged team member."