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Supporting customers in running AIoT and digital projects and solutions as well as state-of-the-art software development is part of the value proposition of the Bosch.IO project delivery team. As a senior project manager, Lena combines the competencies of different roles to drive innovative AIoT projects and solutions, such as the backend development of spexor.
How it all started…
Lena obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in international business. Her IoT journey started as an intern in a small IT start-up, located in Adelaide, Australia, that developed web-based systems. Afterwards, she decided to continue to focus on the technical field as a working student at KPMG in their IT consulting department in Berlin. She subsequently joined Bosch while pursuing her master’s degree.
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Her career @ Bosch
Lena currently works as a senior project manager for the project delivery team based at Bosch.IO’s IoT campus in Berlin.
Her connection to Bosch leads back in time to when she was at university in Berlin writing her bachelor thesis on “Scaling Scrum”. Conducting different interviews with Bosch project managers, gave her the chance to gain initial insights into Bosch as a company, its values, and the very attractive development opportunities it offers. This convinced her to work for the company after the completion of her thesis. Thinking back, she says: “I was looking for new adventures and challenges in shaping innovative IoT products that improve quality of life.”
So when the chance arose, she took it by starting a dual study program for her master’s degree in cooperation with Robert Bosch GmbH in Stuttgart. After more than five years of working in different departments and projects in the Stuttgart area, she decided to deepen her knowledge in the AIoT business and accepted a job offer from Bosch.IO at the IoT Campus in Berlin.
“The office reminds me of a creative playground for grown-ups. The lobby has a big camping van and a wooden garden house on an artificial green field. It’s a very open and creative atmosphere that makes it extremely hard to stay at home and work remotely.”
Daily routine
Early on in her career, Lena discovered that project management is the discipline that interests her the most – the project manager role itself combines competencies of the different roles of entrepreneur, leader, organizer, controller, expert, facilitator, and diplomat. “I enjoy the diversity of competencies and the different hats I put on from time to time as well as the frequent change of interesting new topics.” Great team spirit and inspiring leadership with lots of freedom to take on responsibility and to express your opinion makes working at Bosch.IO special for her.
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Currently, Lena is a project lead for the back-end development of the IoT project spexor. Her work routine differs greatly from day to day, and includes several meetings with different project stakeholders. Managing and balancing the needs and expectations of these different stakeholders is also the biggest challenge for her. “As we have chosen an agile approach for the project, it is far from boring, as new customer requirements are formulated on a frequent basis. Nonetheless, some project routine can be found in our biweekly development cycles in which we continuously release new functionalities.”
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Private life
Even though Lena lived and worked in different countries over the past ten years (including USA, UK, Australia), she never forgot her roots. Having grown up in a very small town on the North Sea coast, home is where her heart is. Long walks on the beach with her friends and family make her feel safe and ready to tackle all future challenges. Being in the countryside surrounded by nature, without her phone and IT distractions, is what she enjoy the most.
With a very active professional and private life, she values the little time in the day that she has for herself and her yoga practice. It helps her to breathe, de-stress, and immerse herself into the world of meditation – with nothing to do and nowhere to be. She cherishes this quiet time as it gives her fresh energy and helps her clear her head at the end of a long day.
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Looking towards the future
Lena finds it hard to make any assumptions about the future as technical progress is developing at a rapid pace. She believes there are possibilities in 20 years that are not imaginable right now. “I would not be surprised if the smartphone is replaced and we control different services and actions by simply using body movements or voices. Maybe even the fridge will automatically order groceries by measuring body nutrition levels.”
According to Lena, engagement, curiosity, and motivation are the main drivers for a career at Bosch.IO. “You don’t need to know everything – you don’t even have to be the smartest person on the planet. If you are not afraid of change but rather embrace it, and keep your curiosity and motivation to continuously learn and evolve; I believe you will have a great time.”