As part of the talent management project, Malte Seifert temporarily left his day job as a Category Manager at BSH Australia to spend three months in the Corporate Strategy (CST) department at the company headquarters in Germany.
He arrived in Munich in April 2018 and immediately felt at home in his new office.
“My manager and the entire team were supportive throughout the process. They clearly saw the value in the interdisciplinary exchange and the benefit that it brings to our organization,” says Malte.

Full immersion in a new environment
The new additions to the Strategy department are normally assigned to a project team. Here, they work together on topics such as the definition of future strategies for particular product areas or regions. Focusing on project-based tasks provides a unique insight into different areas of BSH during a work-intense consulting period. “The assignment enabled me to contribute to a project of strategic relevance and at the same time gain a comprehensive insight into the work environment of other departments within BSH,” says Malte. The role required strong analytical and communication skills, as well as a willingness to challenge traditional BSH standards and processes.

Speaking about the exchange, Malte’s boss Nick Ruffell said: “We are proud to support these corporate initiatives for BSH and also the further development of our local team. As part of our agile culture within Asia Pacific we managed to flexibly remain on track with our project timelines and a special mention must go to the colleagues who took on the additional workload within the region.”

Learning from others
The “Broaden your Perspective” initiative has several aims. Among other things, it is designed to tackle silo-thinking, provide motivation for employees, develop cross-functional know-how and, of course, strengthen the personal connections of employees.
“I am convinced that interdisciplinary collaborations that constantly challenge ourselves and the way we work are an essential pillar of the company’s future success. Building on a strong global network that is highly committed to engaging and encouraging diversity allows us to learn from each other and transform BSH into a more agile organization,” adds Malte.