Petra, Teamlead Finance
Petra has been working at CHECK24 in Augsburg since 2020, where she is responsible for the finance department at AurumCars as team leader. In addition to her position as a manager, she is also the mother of two children. In this interview, Petra tells us what she values in the team and what challenges she faces in her day-to-day work as a manager.
Hello Petra, please introduce yourself briefly.
Petra:
Hi, I'm Petra, and I've been working in Controlling at AurumCars since June 2020. I gradually helped build the team and took over as team leader of the entire finance team in April 2023. This includes all areas from accounting and preparing the monthly financial statements to controlling long-term planning. Before joining AurumCars, I worked in the controlling department of a logistics service provider, where I also completed my dual studies in business administration. In my private life, I enjoy spending time with my family, as I am the mother of two children.
How did you come to CHECK24, and why did you choose CHECK24 back then?
Petra:
After my first parental leave, I sought a new challenge in a different environment with different structures. At CHECK24, the informal culture in the job advertisement appealed to me. After the intensive application process, I already felt I knew exactly what to expect when I changed jobs, which made me look forward to the new role. AurumCars also knew precisely where my strengths lay and in which areas I could contribute my experience to the company.
How would you describe your management style, and what do you value in your team?
Petra:
My management style is cooperative. But of course, it depends on the situation and the employees. It is essential to me that my employees receive individual support and coaching so that their strengths can be utilised appropriately. This also includes an open feedback and error culture that provides room for growth. I always try to communicate respectfully and at eye level. Team spirit is also important to me. For me, this means supporting each other, trusting each other and being able to rely on each other at all times.
The best thing about CHECK24?
AurumCars quickly recognized where my strengths lie and in which areas I can best contribute my experience.
Petra, Teamlead Finance
What challenges do you face as a manager in finance?
Petra:
As a manager, you need many skills, such as organizational talent, planning skills, time management, empathy, and a willingness to compromise and prioritise tasks, some of which you must learn first. In my case, it's also about balancing family and career.
Much support helps me professionally through my very well-coordinated and well-functioning team or my manager and privately. As a manager, I enjoy the freedom to design my controlling projects, such as the digitalization and automation of the invoicing process. Thanks to my independent planning and implementation, I can combine my two roles well.
What advice would you give to parents who want to combine career and family planning?
Petra:
Career and family is a very individual topic, as everyone's work-life balance is different. But my first tip is to think about the family constellation. This includes the questions of who takes how much parental leave and what the childcare situation should be like after parental leave. My second tip is to have confidence in yourself and find an employer who promotes compatibility. With AurumCars, I have found an employer that offers me flexible working hours or the option of working from home or, in my case, the possibility of taking on a management role at 80%.
What are your top 3 reasons for working at CHECK24?
Petra:
It's not easy to choose just three reasons, but the following are the three most essential for me to:
- The modern, results-oriented corporate culture with a respectful and appreciative tone
- The cohesion between employees: teamwork is crucial here, e.g. strengthening team cohesion alongside work in the form of free CHECKito lunches or lots of team events
- The opportunity to constantly develop both professionally and personally, coupled with the chance to realize your ideas
And finally, tell us what your professional goals for the future are.
Petra:
As I have only been in my current position as a team leader for a short time, I want to consolidate my job and continue developing with my team. At the same time, however, I would also like to become more of a role model for "working moms", for example, through this article.