Interview
There is currently a lot of hype about women who hold management positions in companies or even have their own companies.
With the increasing presence of women in high positions, outdated leadership models in which almost mainly men were the big decision-makers in a company are being replaced.
It is about women’s quotas, gender pay gaps and general equality of men and women in the job and in everyday life.
At UNITED BRANDS, we are very interested in promoting women and offering them exactly the same opportunities as their male colleagues. This can already be seen in the fact that we have a proud 60% female staff!
For this reason, we are also particularly proud to have Ms Häusser as one of our managing directors.
She is an important confidant for all our employees and acts as a link between the social and the business part of the company.
1. Q & A: You as Managing Partner & CHRO, could you briefly tell us what your activities involve exactly?
Manuela Häusser: Of course. I am part of the management alongside my husband René Häusser and our partner Frank Rösner. My main task is the management and supervision of our staff. I ensure a pleasant working atmosphere by being the person of trust for our staff and gladly taking care of their wishes and problems. This is an important part of a well-functioning company, because if the employees are dissatisfied, the rest doesn’t work either.
2. Q & A: I agree with you. Would you like to tell us something about your career at the company?
Manuela Häusser: Sure. I started working for UNITED BRANDS about 20 years ago. At first I did part-time commercial work and then about ten years ago I made this work a full-time position. Five years ago, I took over the human resources department, which is still my department today. At the same time, I am also involved in all major decisions in the company, my voice is heard and carries weight. That is very important to me!
3. Q & A: Is there anything that you have learned as Managing Director that you have also transferred to your private life?
Manuela Häusser: I have definitely learned a lot in terms of people skills. I also see every day how important it is to have the right assertiveness and to be far-sighted. Of course, you carry something like that over into your private life.
4. Q & A: Do you have a leisure activity that helps you recover from stressful days at work?
Manuela Häusser: Sport. It helps me to keep completely fit; body and mind. You feel super active and have a whole different energy!
I also enjoy doing sports with my husband, because we both like rowing.
5. Q & A: Are there women in leadership positions who impress you personally?
Manuela Häusser:
I am impressed by Julia Klöckner, our Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture! Her eloquence is impressive, she comes across as very authentic, fair and also addresses the unpleasant things that are often left under the table.
Also Angela Merkel; she seems sober, rational and does not always have it easy in her work. Nevertheless, she fights her way through. I find her manner admirable! In general, I am impressed when a woman has a lot of energy, is assertive, tough and pragmatic!
But I am most impressed by my own daughter. She risked a lot when she emigrated alone to the USA. Now she has built a life there, started her own business and is quite successful. It wasn’t always easy, but she has done great! She is very similar to my husband, an entrepreneurial spirit.
6. Q & A: Do you also see these qualities in female employees of your company?
Manuela Häusser: Definitely and it’s really great to see how they develop over time. 60% of our employees are women. I think that’s really great – a super quota! It is now 2019 and it is sad that we still have to deal with quotas, equal rights, etc. at all. It should have long been just as normal to have a woman as a manager as a man.
7. Q & A: In your opinion, what qualities do women in leadership positions have that their male counterparts do not?
Manuela Häusser: I think that women are particularly empathetic and therefore possibly also fairer, in contrast to male managers. I have also often noticed that women are more honest, that is, they express their opinions and views straightforwardly.
8. Q & A: Last but not least, what do you recommend to young women who are at the beginning of their professional life or career?
Manuela Häusser: It is important to get out of your comfort zone and dare to do what you really want!
You have to stay true to yourself, show commitment, gain a lot of experience and learn from it!
