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From a One-Woman Show to Team Lead – Katharina’s Journey with ELA
Katharina Sparwel, Team Lead Online Marketing, at ELA since 2019
Date of interview: 17.11.2023
Gain insight into Katharina’s unique career path at ELA, from her first steps as online marketing manager to leading an European team. Here you can read about how she has achieved her professional goals with ambition and determination.
Katharina, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself. Who are you and what makes you unique?
I am Katha (Katharina Sparwel) and I am 30 years young. I live in beautiful Lingen, where I’m very happy. I’m firmly rooted where I grew up, so I’m happy to have my family, our family dogs, and my friends so close to me. I enjoy business life at ELA and want to be challenged professionally and, more importantly, give it my all. I like to relax when I’m not at work. In my free time, I enjoy taking long strolls with our two Chihuahuas, which allows me to unwind.
„I love giving my all at work and being challenged.“
You’ve been with ELA for several years. What made you want to apply to ELA and ultimately join the company?
I wanted to be able to contribute my strengths as a generalist at ELA, and that was the primary reason I applied. Even my first time at the company, I was impressed by the ELA spirit, the relaxed atmosphere, and all the laughter. As the conversations took a more technical turn, it was the responsibilities and my development prospects that won me over.
It was ultimately the opportunity to develop at a fast pace and assume responsibility that made me want to make the switch. The job opening at ELA offered exactly what I’d been looking for. It has always been the perfect fit for me.
Take us with you on your journey. When did you join ELA and in which position? And where are you today?
My journey with ELA began in November 2019 – as the company’s first online marketing manager. From the very start, I took over, expanded, and optimized existing online and on-site marketing activities and initiated new measures.
After a year and a half, it became clear that we needed to expand these activities significantly in order to fulfill national and international objectives and requirements. Taking into account our guiding principle, “from the market, for the market,” the only logical thing to do was build an entire online marketing team for all of Europe in an effort to satisfy existing and new markets.
ELA offered me the opportunity to assume more responsibility and provided me with a team leader position with both a technical and disciplinary focus. This gesture revealed the trust that ELA had in my expertise, for which I’m very thankful. There are now six of us in the Online Marketing team. We’re passionate about our operational and strategic work on ELA Container’s global website.
„I was able to prove myself and grow, which was key in my development as a specialist and manager.“
Were there any training opportunities at ELA that helped you develop into a specialist and manager?
There were several factors that played a key role in promoting my development, most notably the opportunity to earn my master’s degree while I was working, which ELA made possible. Regular participation in mentoring programs and conferences as well as management training, which every manager completes at ELA, also allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. But most important was the opportunity to initiate many projects at ELA and implement them as project manager. I was able to prove myself and grow, which was key in my development as a specialist and manager.
You work in the Marketing department. What do you like most about working with your colleagues on a daily basis?
What I like most is the harmonious and humorous atmosphere in the Marketing team and our effective approach to work. I also think it’s wonderful that we treat each other with respect, communicate openly and constructively, learn from one another, and create synergies – especially across different areas of specialization. I don’t have to pretend to be someone else in our team. I can simply be me.
„I’m proud to be a part of the ELA family.“
How does ELA differ from the companies you’ve worked for in the past?
ELA understands that the company is only as good as its employees, and it’s this conviction that inspires the company to do many things right. This is most noticeable in the communication, which is always respectful and extends across all hierarchical levels. The management, in particular, takes ideas and feedback seriously and makes a point to discuss them. There’s also an open error culture, in which mistakes are viewed as a normal component of the learning process.
What I also like personally is the “Quality Before Quantity” principle, which is firmly anchored in the culture. What that means to me in practical terms is that we look for optimal, long-term solutions to problems. In other words, projects are developed extensively prior to implementation, which can prevent many unintended consequences.
Of course, work-life balance also plays a big role. ELA offers a wide range of benefits that make this possible. But what I like most is short Fridays, when the whole company calls it quits as early as noon, which is a huge benefit.
In short, I’d say that ELA is a modern, informal, appreciative, and ambitious company, which makes it different from many other employers in the region. As a result, I really identify with the company values and am proud to be a part of the ELA family.
Success stories at ELA
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