"Logistics and management – you can’t have one without the other" Alumni Story with Juliette Witte
Juliette Witte, KLU Class of 2021, successfully gained a foothold in the logistics industry just three years after graduating. She is currently working on decarbonization and innovation in logistics at Porsche Consulting. In this interview, she explains why logistics and management are inseparable for her and what influence strategy has on her career.
Juliette, three years after graduating from KLU, you are now working as a Consultant for Porsche Consulting. Would you describe this more as the success of a good strategy or did serendipity also play a role?
Juliette Witte: In general, I am a strategic person. I am convinced that just being good at your job is not enough for a good career. It's about consistently setting the course to achieve professional goals. This involves making decisions and building up skills. I made a conscious decision back in elementary school that I wanted to go to a grammar school and geared my performance accordingly (laughs). After school, I moved from Schleswig-Holstein to the south for my dual studies at the DHBW Lörrach in cooperation with Dachser. I'm half French, so Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg was a perfect fit. The training at Dachser also paved the way for a career in logistics. And then I was able to start there directly in a strategy position in global innovation management. My move to Porsche Consulting later came about as follows: I was satisfied with my employer Mazars, but wanted a new challenge. I grabbed the opportunity to join Porsche Consulting with both hands and am very happy with this decision! The corporate culture at Porsche Consulting encourages me to look beyond the obvious, to try out new ideas and to keep improving. Creating success and progress together with our clients is what drives me.
After your dual training at Dachser, you enrolled on a management course at KLU. Why did you choose this combination of logistics and management?
Juliette Witte: By studying this subject, I wanted to work internationally, across borders, get to know new perspectives and bring people together. If you take the example of a smartphone: The raw materials are sourced from different countries, e.g. Australia, other components are procured from the USA and the individual parts are assembled in China before it is delivered to customers worldwide via distribution centers. This all has to be coordinated and managed. What's more, I grew up bilingual and the different cultures have had a huge impact on me. I am convinced that we can achieve great things together. And working together is also the most fun.
How do you see the relationship between logistics and management?
Juliette Witte: I would say they are married to each other (laughs). They go together, you can't have one without the other. For me, both topics run through my entire CV, because logistics means managing processes and workflows. Everything has to be in the right place at the right time, and of course management is a very important part of this. No good manager can do without basic knowledge of logistics, and conversely, if you want to get ahead in logistics, you simply need management skills.
To what extent did your studies at KLU help you on this path?
Juliette Witte: At the time, I deliberately chose the Management Master's program at KLU rather than the Logistics Master's program. First of all, because it meant I could return to Hamburg, the most beautiful city in the world - especially during the two weeks of summer we have here (laughs). The connection to logistics was very important to me, as was KLU's good reputation in the industry. After coming from a dual training program, the academic work at KLU was very valuable to me. I can still apply and use the skills I learned here today. My studies also helped me to mature, especially through the international context of KLU. Thanks to the independence I gained, I was quickly able to take on exciting tasks in my job.
What does your current work for Porsche Consulting look like?
Juliette Witte: I am part of the Transportation Team at Porsche Consulting. My broad practical knowledge of logistics topics therefore helped me a lot in the application process. My studies at KLU were also very valuable, as we learned to see things in a broader context. Now I'm mainly working on decarbonizing the fleet, i.e. the transformation towards greater sustainability. There is also the topic of innovation and digitalization in logistics. So I can continue to pursue my passion for sustainability and innovation - my absolute favorite topics.
Dear Juliette, thank you very much for the interview and all the best for the future!
More information:
- Connect with Juliette at LinkedIn