You brought your surfboard to our photo shoot. Why?
Surfing is my great passion. I started it in 2007 with a trip to Australia - since then I've been gripped! Going to the beach in the morning, paddling out to sea, the adrenaline rush on the wave: There's nothing better.
How does that fit in with your job as a consultant?
Both have more in common than you might think: regularly leaving the comfort zone, facing new challenges and growing with them - that's what you have to do both as a consultant and when surfing. In addition, both tasks are very varied: every wave is different - just like every client and every project. And because I have the opportunity to take a break every now and then as part of my private time, I can regularly satisfy my longing for waves and the sea despite my demanding job.
You have studied economics - this is not the typical subject for consultants. How did you come to CS?
I was already working for an IT consultancy during my bachelor's degree. I liked working in a team and with customers right from the start. During the Master's I got to know CS through a recommendation and started as a working student. That was a lot of fun for me. My boss then offered me a permanent job as a consultant just in time for my graduation. Since then, I have been working as a consultant for a wide range of clients in strategic and implementation areas, including digitisation and cloud projects.
You are not only a surfer and consultant, but also a mother. How do you reconcile your consulting career and family life?
I asked myself that before the birth of my child! Fortunately, CS was very accommodating: I can work a lot remotely and contribute to our projects from home. In this respect, the topic of "career and family" is currently quite positive for me. The only thing I sometimes miss is spending time together with colleagues at the customer's site: After work, we often played sports together, bouldered or went out for a drink - of course, that's what's missing in the home office.
Team dynamics seem to be special at CS. What do you think: What distinguishes the people in the company?
I believe that our recruiters always succeed in finding real "guys". By that I mean people with personality who have other passions besides their profession: no matter whether they are musical, athletic or culinary. This creates an inspiring environment that has a decisive impact on our corporate culture - and that makes us a very exciting employer.
Would you like to work with people like Natascha? You can find our current vacancies here.
