About me
NAME: Anneliese Degen
COUNTRY: Austria
CITY: Hart bei Graz
NATIONALITY: Austria
BACKGROUND: Vocational education
ACTION/SECTOR: Industry / Services
POSITION: Managing Director
ORGANIZATION: DEAKON
My Background and Career
Based on my personal, negative experience that you do not get an employment as a newly backed mother of 2, I myself, since I’ve founded my company (a cable construction company, in 1988) are trying to give my employees best conditions to balance their family-and work life.
After the birth of my second child, I found (and this was pure luck) a home-work possibility in the field of cable assembly. This opportunity paved the way to my professional independence – it all started out with a single pincer on my home-work station (the coffee table)
Back then, founder centers had not been established, but I was supported by the Styrian Chamber of Commerce.
Today my company counts a team of 8 women and 11 men. We manufacture special cables and cable harnesses for heating technology, medicine - and environmental engineering and elevator technology, as well as cables for the motor development and much more.
Due to many positive experiences the establishment of a climate of joint cooperation is not only of benefit for my employees but it also of benefit for our customers - high quality, delivery reliability and commitment equals a high customer satisfaction, which in turn works well for the company.
My Experience
Opportunities:
recognition of my own capabilities an proper assessment
A conscious pursue of small goals and the courage to implement those.
Regular meetings to obtain and exchange knowledge and expertise with customers and suppliers.
A certain requirement is the openness and the joy of your work as well as commitment and discipline, appreciation and, to be more than ready to take on responsibility.
Challenges:
Since I entered a “male domain” (back in 1988), I had to prove my skills& knowledge twice as hard as every man.
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