Basically, Kathleen is a numbers person. And yet she has a flair for chemistry. And to the right chemistry. To find it, she travelled from Dresden to Steyr.
Kathleen
Teamleader accounting
& controlling
Hello Kathleen,
what exactly do you do at Kappa?
I started out as an assistant to the commercial management to support controlling, annual accounts, balance sheets, insurance… In the course of time I took over more and more tasks independently and after about one and a half years I was assigned the group management in the commercial area.
As „Zuagroaste“:
How did you get from Saxony to Steyr?
There are of course reasons for this ;) I studied law in Dresden and then worked as a lawyer in Germany. Privately, however, I ended up in Upper Austria, where I worked for four years in a bank as a corporate client consultant. Working with my bank customers has sparked my enthusiasm for RW & CO issues. That's why I still completed CRF studies at the University of Applied Sciences FH Upper Austria Steyr. And then Kappa came along :)
In what way?
During my part-time studies I was looking for a suitable job in accounting and controlling. Of course these jobs are not only available at Kappa, but here I found something very special.
What exactly?
A unique environment shaped by personalities. Already in my first interview, I felt as if I had been part of this company for a long time.
Now I'm interested
We understood each other from the very first moment and this has remained so. If you find something like that, you have to take it. And that was the case for me at Kappa.
What makes the difference to you?
A lot happens on a very appreciative, downright friendly basis. Many situations that are a problem in other companies are no big fuss for us. This not only makes work more pleasant but also ultimately more successful. Both in the team and with my boss, the cooperation goes beyond the professional.
And what does your job ultimately look like?
In the course of time additional legal and tax topics for foreign projects were added. When my baby was born, I took care of my kids during maternity leave and worked at Kappa for a few hours a week. After my second maternity leave I returned to the company part-time. To get me started again as an assistant to my boss and after a start-up phase I took over the responsibility for controlling and accounting again.
What challenges you particularly in your task?
When everything has to be done at the same time, it becomes especially stressful. In particular, new topics such as the tax conditions for various foreign projects are time-consuming. But the cooperation with the different project teams is great. My in-house "tax consultant function" makes the task very diverse.
What are your plans for the future?
My private plans are to finish our own home and that my family is doing well. And at Kappa, we now have some outsourced tasks in-house and will also grow in the accounting & controlling area as the company grows. There's a lot to do!
How do you wind down?
I switch off when I am at the playground with my children in the afternoon. At the weekend we go hiking in the mountains. In the background the mountain and in the foreground the lake. You don't get that in Dresden ;)
