International Women's Day: Well on the way towards equal opportunities

Sandra Koerber has been working at a. hartrodt since August 2001 and praises her employer on the occasion of the International Women's Day on March 8 "because my job and family are easy to combine". During her career in Group Finance at the Management Holding, she had two children: "In 2009, I was one of the first to work from home." She quickly switched from part-time to full-time again and now has six employees as Department Manager Group Accounting at a. hartrodt in Hamburg. Andrea Lemke has been the head of a male colleague as Department Manager Group Treasury since August 2019. Working part-time allows her to "react flexibly" when her children need her.

A flair for figures, expert knowledge and reliability

Sandra Koerber finds it "sad" that women still have to emphasize the compatibility of work and family in society. As Group Accountant, she is responsible for the consolidated balance sheet with 86 subsidiaries and associated companies. As Head of Treasury, Andrea Lemke ensures the optimal use of the Group's liquidity. According to her, "a flair for figures, expert knowledge and reliability" qualify for these responsible jobs, but not gender.

Naturally balanced gender ratio

At a. hartrodt, the important Group Finance department is divided into Accounting, Controlling, Treasury and Business Development – and is headed by a male Chief Financial Officer, Andreas Schroen. Two out of four department heads are women. Sandra Koerber does not believe in a women's quota. In her department, the gender ratio is "naturally" balanced even without this regulation. Are there things that women can do better than men? Sandra Koerber observes "listening" in meetings, and Andrea Lemke finds: "Women sometimes approach things more thoughtfully than men."

In September 2024, Sandra Koerber will be teaching accounting to new Managing Directors of a. hartrodt from all over the world in Hamburg. Andrea Lemke will take over a treasury training course: "Half of the people on the registration list are women – we are well on the way towards equal opportunities here."

Sandra Koerber encourages women to get more involved, "because only with input from all sources can we meet the growing challenges of our increasingly complex world".