DHL Consulting

Management and supply chain consultancy

Company type

Large company

Sector

Consulting

Location

Bonn, Germany

News (4)

  • Company life

    WHY ASSOCIATE PARTNER ALENA IS MOTIVATED TO MAKE AN IMPACT. BE YOU. BE A CONSULTANT.

    Alena Shevchenko was happy in her home city of Moscow. As a masters graduate working as a senior change manager for a good company, she had a clear career path in front of her and wasn’t planning to move jobs — let alone countries — any time soon. But then, in 2017, an unexpected opportunity arose to join DHL Consulting in Bonn. Alena didn’t know Germany very well, but it was a chance she couldn’t pass up. Five years later, she’s an Associate Partner based in the DHL Consulting Bonn office.      “I must admit, I hadn’t planned on living here!” she says. “My first visit to the country was only in 2013 and I didn’t speak German at all. But I was approached by a recruiting agency via LinkedIn to attend a Female Networking and Recruiting event in Bonn that had been organized by Sabine Mueller, DHL Consulting’s CEO. I went along, had an interview and was offered a job! While I was very content in Russia and wasn’t actively looking for another role, I did want more international experience and a new challenge. So I thought: ‘Why not try consulting in Germany?’ It was a great opportunity, which I’m so glad I took.” After all, the diverse, international make-up of the DHLC team was a big enticement. “We have colleagues from India, China, Korea, Hungary, Portugal and Spain — from everywhere,” says Alena. “I find it so inspiring that people from many different mindsets, cultures and backgrounds come together to find common solutions to clients’ problems.” Alena believes that the flexibility at DHL Consulting — such as working from home or from different locations depending on the project setup — is a sign of the company’s adaptable culture. “I always feel that I’m supported to achieve my goals with advice, tools and training,” she says. “I have open conversations about how my career can develop – I started as Project Manager and have progressed to be an Associate Partner. I also know that if I want to take things in a different direction I’d be encouraged to do so.” When did you decide to pursue a career in consulting? When I was studying for my masters in strategic management at Emlyon Business School in Lyon, France, I did a course on how to succeed in professional consulting, which involved listening to representatives from consulting companies talking about their work. When you don’t have any preference for a specific business — and I still don’t, actually — it seemed like an interesting direction to take. When you were offered the role at DHLC, were you concerned about giving up your job in Russia and moving to a new life in Germany? Usually, when people are looking to make a change it’s because they aren’t satisfied with something in their lives. That wasn’t the case for me; so I suppose it was a brave move in that sense. On the other hand, I had a very good feeling about the culture and values of DHL Consulting from my interactions with the partners, and my expectations were high! My boss in Moscow at the time who was an ex-consultant also encouraged me to try it out and stay for at least a couple of years to fully assimilate and figure out if it was the right fit for me  If it wasn’t, I was welcome to return to my previous job which of course made me feel very secure. I also wasn’t straight out of university, I’d already studied abroad and had been working for around seven years by that point, both in an external consultancy and in industry, so I had quite a clear understanding of what fits me and makes me happy job-wise. What do you like about being an Associate Partner? I like the freedom and the ownership I have as an Associate Partner. I totally own what I do in terms of decision-making; plus I’m exposed to senior management at a high level and am able to influence the decisions they take. I like the idea of connecting the dots for clients, getting things done and being able to shape them same time. I have a ‘finisher’ mentality. It motivates me when I can make an impact. What's the teamwork culture like at DHL Consulting? Oh, I really enjoy that. There are a lot of young smart people who come to work here and I like being able to shape their knowledge and help with their development. Because I’ve worked in different work environments I bring a certain knowledge and experience to the table. I think the junior members of the team appreciate that and are able to learn and develop. What kind of projects do you work on at DHL Consulting? They’re all very different and obviously what you do changes depending on what level you’re at. So what I do now as an Associate Partner is different from what I did as a Project Manager. I recently finished a project on an IT security topic; but before that I was mainly working in the area of IT architecture, data management and process automation. Now I’m involved in a compliance topic. One reason the variety of projects is so wide is because part of what we do is adding value for DHL Group, which is a huge company with lots of different business units. How does DHL Consulting empower its female colleagues? The most important thing it does is create awareness about the problems and biases women are typically exposed to. If I’m honest, when I first came here I was a little surprised by the amount of attention DHLC paid to this topic because, for me, it was never a problem in Russia. Or at least I didn’t think it was. But of course, just because no-one spoke about it doesn’t mean the problem didn’t exist! So creating an awareness of these issues, particularly with male colleagues, is a big first step. Can having female leadership make a difference to a company? Of course. It brings diversity, empathy and the ability to challenge the status quo. Also, only a female leader knows what it feels like to manage or participate in a meeting with 10 senior managers who are all male. Whatever one may say – there is a difference, and it is great to learn from the experience of our Management. Hearing their stories and getting tips about how women can overcome their insecurities in these circumstances can really help, especially for colleagues from highly hierarchical cultures, like Russia or China. You're a member of a Lean In Circle. How does this help you? Lean In is an external organization with communities in different cities that are dedicated to helping women achieve their ambitions. It organizes different workshops and events, where members can discuss hot topics regarding women in the workplace. It helps to talk to people with similar mindsets and interests to find different solutions to difficult problems. You're keen on travel. Where's next on your travel list? I have a whole list of locations! I’d love to go to Greenland, for example. I’d also like to explore more of Russia. I would love to hike in Caucasus or Altay and enjoy the mountains and lakes there. I like hiking and the landscape is fantastic. Does the flexibility of your role make it easier for you to pursue your hobbies and interests? It does… although, obviously, it’s not that easy to incorporate travel and hobbies into daily life, my job is still quite time-consuming. But two months of sabbatical certainly helped to balance things out. Taking a sabbatical isn’t really something that people do in Russia. Here, though, due to the nature of the work and the mindset of our management, it’s super fine. It helped me to detach, unwind and come back refreshed.

  • Company life

    WHY NANCY LOVES WORKING IN A DIVERSE TEAM. BE YOU. BE A CONSULTANT.

    Nancy Xiaowen Jiang loves being a ‘team player’ — both in her professional life and in her personal life. The clues are fairly obvious. For instance, outside of work, she’s part of an a cappella singing group. “I’ve always loved singing,” says Nancy. “I was part of a choir in my elementary school. But that’s the thing: instead of singing solo, I prefer to make a contribution as part of a group, because when all your voices harmonize it’s so beautiful. When I sing with my friends, the sound we make gives me goosebumps.” Harmonizing in a group is an apt metaphor for Nancy’s role at DHL Consulting. She only joined the company in 2020 and is finding immense fulfillment as a Consultant working in DHLC’s diverse teams on a variety of projects. “When we all sit down together — men and women from different cultural and social backgrounds — we’re able to brainstorm lots of new ideas,” she says. “That dynamic generates a type of creativity which I find so exciting.” Nancy — who was born in Beijing, China — studied a bachelor’s degree in Human Geography and Urban Planning at Peking University, and then a master’s degree in Business Analytics and International Management at Esade Business School in Barcelona, Spain. During her bachelor’s degree she spent two months on a voluntary project in Cambodia, found through AIESEC, a global platform which helps young people develop their leadership potential through international internships and volunteer schemes. “The whole experience with AIESEC changed my life and encouraged me to be more international,” she says. It also introduced her to DHL Consulting. “I found out that DHL was a huge supporter of AIESEC, so assumed they must share the same cultural genes,” says Nancy. “I thought: ‘If I can do well with AIESEC, maybe I could do well at DHL.’” After completing an internship with DHL Consulting in the summer of 2018, she finished her master’s degree and became a full-time member of the team in July 2020. What do you like about being a Management Consultant? The variety. I’ve worked on three projects since I joined DHLC, and all have been different. My first project was more cyber security and IT-focused whereas the second was very operational. My third, which I’m currently working on is a strategic project for DHL Supply Chain. I’m also enjoying the diversity of the teams here because DHLC colleagues are very international. I’ve worked with Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, etc… and soon, potentially, a colleague from China. I wanted to work in a diverse environment, on a diverse team. So DHLC’s international mindset is one of the reasons I joined the company. Why is an international mindset important in the workplace? It’s a changing world. Take China. Twenty years ago, no-one thought it would be growing as fast as it is today. If you want to do business there, you need employees who understand different markets to “win the global game”. Diversity also drives creativity, when you have a team made up of people from different backgrounds, each person might view a topic differently. This in turn means they can help each other to avoid   falling into  thinking traps and think more broadly than they might have otherwise. The result of this, is often increased innovation. So, a diverse team or workforce can help a company network in different countries, particularly emerging markets and enhance creativity in problem solving. How does DHL Consulting empower its female colleagues? This is a company that values its people — and validates them, too. For example, there’s an idea that Asian women can sometimes be a bit shy, particularly in a setting where English isn’t their mother tongue. I can relate to that. However, I also feel that the company encourages me to join in and do things that are outside my comfort zone, which builds up my confidence. Plus, the female perspective is always represented in project teams. They’re not exclusively male. How important are female role models to you? There are a lot of female colleagues in DHLC; and the women in the senior leadership team share stories on social media about their experiences of being successful businesswomen who have busy family lives. That might be quite far from where I am at my stage of life, but it’s very inspiring all the same and gives me a better vision of how women might develop their careers at DHLC in the long term. Do you feel supported to develop your professional interests and skills? I feel very supported. To begin with, all staff are given a personal developer. This is one of the partners who talks to us and gives suggestions about how we can better develop, both professionally and personally. If I want to further a particular interest I can be assigned to projects that require certain skills — and I can get involved in training to help me enhance those skills. Outside of work, you love to travel. What have been your favorite countries to visit? I think Brazil was the best experience for me, because it’s such a different place. I’d heard so many stories about how dangerous it can be for travelers, but I met so many dynamic people there and discovered that their culture is so cool. You love reading, too. Are there any books you've read recently that you can recommend? I read a lot of books about how countries evolve, and how their geographical locations have changed their destinies. I read them before I travel or while I travel, so that I can feel connected to the places I’m visiting and understand the locals’ daily lives. The book that first inspired me to travel abroad was Blue Heaven by Bi Shumin, who spent half a year on a cruise, sharing different stories in different countries. I can recommend The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton; and Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano, which gave me a better understanding of the continent and helped make my trip so valuable. How do you balance your personal interests with your working life? DHLC has a flexible attitude to work, which leaves me free to explore my hobbies and interests. I really appreciate that. Also, I found that I share a lot of interests with my colleagues, which DHLC encourages us to bring inside the company. I mentioned that I like a cappella singing, now I think it would be good to organize an a cappella group within DHL. Maybe we can perform at the Christmas party…?

  • Company life

    MONIKA'S UNQUENCHABLE CURIOSITY. BE YOU. BE A CONSULTANT.

    Culture & Career As part of her dual study program bachelor’s degree in Business (Retail Management), Monika worked as an intern across the business functions of a multinational IT company; then, after graduation, she stayed on with the organization to work in IT project management. “But after three years I thought: ‘I’m not finished with learning’,” says Monika. “So I began a masters degree in International Business Management at the University of Manchester in the UK, and then joined DHL Consulting after I had completed my studies.” That was four years ago.   Consulting suits Monika’s unquenchable curiosity perfectly, because it’s a job where she is constantly learning new things and developing new skills. “In general, consulting is an extremely diverse role,” says Monika. “That’s good for me because I like getting eyes on lots of different projects. Also, we get a lot of freedom in choosing which internal topics we would like to work on – that could be for example being part of the recruiting team, being a trainer for other consultants or building knowledge in a new emerging content topic. There is definitely enough room for everyone’s curiosity! Which skills do you most need in your role as a Project Manager? In my current role, for each project, I have to focus on multiple aspects simultaneously: the task at hand, the client, and of course, the team. Referring to the task, I have to for example be able to quickly structure problems and break them down into work packages so that my team and I can focus on exactly what needs to be done and hit the ground running as we move from one project to the next. Properly understanding our client’s requirements and addressing all kinds of topics requires good stakeholder management. All this needs to be done while focusing on coaching the team and exposing every team member to the tasks that fit them and let them grow. What do you like about being a consultant? As an in-house consultant, I like the deep stakeholder relationship that I have forged with our client, Deutsche Post DHL. I get to support different areas of the business over the longer term and follow up with how different projects are going, even when we have finished working on them some time ago. Name one thing that impresses you about DHL Consulting. Well, I like the fact that all voices are heard here. So if we have any suggestions — be it about the work we are doing or measures to support colleagues’ mental health and work/life balance — we have a supportive leadership which is open to receiving feedback. How does DHL Consulting help you develop the skills you have — and attain new ones? One way is by being a member of our internal practice groups. For example, I’m a member of our Digitalization and IT practice group. We meet up regularly to discuss new topics and industry developments in order to stay ahead of the curve, and try to identify and develop new ideas to propose to senior leaders. Plus, there are more informal, self-organized interest groups which we call ‘tribes’. There’s one that focuses on the Internet of Things, for example, which I’ve been a member of in the past. These tribes come together every few weeks to discuss new developments and related events which colleagues might be interested in attending. You don’t have to be an expert to join any of these groups. You just have to be curious about the topic they cover, and want to dig deeper into it. You've started training colleagues who are new to DHL Consulting. Why did you want to get involved in that? First of all, it’s really enjoyable. Second, it’s good for my self-development, because being part of the ‘faculty staff’ — as we’re known — is a new experience for me. Most importantly, though, it’s been really stimulating to shape the learnings of new consultants who are finding out about DHLC’s different project areas. I think it’s useful for them — and it’s useful for us as their coaches because it’s a good way to get to know new people! How would you describe the environment at DHL Consulting? Diverse. I really enjoy the diversity we have here, not only in terms of gender balance but also in terms of different nationalities. During university, I realized that I wanted to work in an international environment, and that’s exactly what DHLC offers. I find cultural differences super interesting. My passion is food, which is a good way to connect with colleagues from different backgrounds and cultures. For instance, I have friends from China and Korea, and it’s really enjoyable to talk to them about their local dishes – in fact, our passion for Chinese hotpot led to an after work outing to a nearby traditional restaurant.  It might seem like a little thing, but it’s important. What's your favorite food? Oh, I regularly have new cuisine obsessions! For example, a couple of years ago I went to Vietnam, traveled around and tried all kinds of local food. My current obsession, however, is with Szechuan food. I’ve never been to the Szechuan region but I’d really like to try it, so I can’t wait for the pandemic to recede and for the travel bans to be lifted. When I can go, I’ll be there. Are there any tasty locations you been to that you'd like to revisit? I was really impressed by Vietnam. I loved it all: the landscape, the culture, the ease of travel… and, yes, the food, of course! I’d love to go there again and maybe this time see different parts of the country. I’ll also re-visit South Korea, because I only discovered a — new! — favorite dish from the country after my last trip…