One team lead, two part-time employees = twice the woman power

Alexandra and Karola, Heads of Finance Billing

The two women who make up our second leadership tandem have also been with Krones for many years. Alexandra Keilhammer has been working in Finance for over 20 years, and Karola Lippert has been in Sales for the past 16, most recently in Contract Management. Last year, both women were looking for a new professional challenge. They agree that “Leading a team in tandem was the perfect solution since it allows us to reconcile family life with our work.” Since June 2023, the two women have been sharing responsibility for heading up the Billing department, which consists of Alexandra and Karola plus a 13-strong team that handles all of the invoicing – whether for new machinery projects, spare parts or retrofits.

“We already knew each other from earlier roles and always worked well together. So, it was clear to us even before we applied that we’d like to take on a tandem assignment together,” explains Karola. “Compatibility is incredibly important in this working model. You don’t have to be close friends, but you really do have to trust each other and appreciate each other’s professional skills and specialist knowledge.”

Openness is a top priority for Alexandra, too. “At the start, we had an honest conversation about our own motivations for and expectations of the new job and of each other. In fact, we’ve continued that conversation, taking time to reflect and sharing feedback on a regular basis. We have to be forthright in voicing our thoughts and opinions if we’re to build the mutual trust we need.” To establish this level of trust from the beginning, Alexandra and Karola spent a day together working with a coach. Over the course of the day, they got to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and determined how they would handle decisions going forward, who would take on which tasks and how they would communicate.

Although Alexandra and Karola are still technically in the early stages of their tandem, their initial assessment is overwhelmingly positive as they approach their six-month anniversary: “In general, a tandem model nowadays is a great option and a win-win-win situation – for Krones, for our team and for us,” says Alexandra. “The tasks that fall to a manager have become increasingly complex – and so it’s really helpful to have a partner. Two heads are more creative and two different perspectives might just show you a middle path that is truly ideal.” Karola adds, “Someone once said: ‘Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end’. We’re finding that fits perfectly. Of course, it’s not always easy. And when you have a child at home, you sometimes have to improvise and change course from your original plans for the day. But that’s the beauty of job sharing – the tandem allows us to reconcile our professional responsibilities and family time.” 

In general, a tandem model nowadays is a great option and a win-win-win situation – for Krones, for our team and for us. Alexandra KeilhammerCo-lead the Billing team

“We are on the right track.”

Accomplishing this balancing act is precisely the aim of the program, explains Rudolf Erndl, Head of HR Business Partners: “For a leadership tandem to work, you need two things: First, the job and the tasks it entails have to be suitable for sharing by two part-time employees. Second, the potential tandem partners have to believe in their ability to handle a leadership role despite working only part time.”

The HR development team stands by the tandems, helping to banish any doubts and giving them the support they need to be successful, as Corinna Walter explains: “Many colleagues are still reluctant to embrace the notion that they can take on a leadership role while only working part time. We hope that will gradually change as they see successful tandems sharing responsibility. In order to break down these mindset barriers and build a strong, effective tandem team from two part-time employees, we offer coaching during and after the initial launch and are available to advise tandems as they go along.”

“Of course, it’s too early yet to draw a final conclusion – it’s still a work in progress. That’s why we continue to support the two tandems and evaluate their experiences and feedback,” says Rudolf Erndl. “But I think the response we’ve had so far from the participants and from the departments shows that we are on the right track with this concept.”

In 2021, the Diversity Board at Krones was established. One of its objectives is to increase the proportion of women in senior management, that is the two hierarchical levels below the Executive Board, to 15 percent by 2024. To this end, the team defined various measures and goals – and the tandem pilot project fits perfectly into this strategy. “With the concept of tandem leadership, we are making it easier to reconcile career and family. And although our two first leadership tandems consist entirely of women, we can certainly imagine other combinations as well,” says Uta Anders, Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Diversity Board. 

At the same time, of course, the other facets of diversity should not be ignored. Proactively examining the subject of women’s advancement should thus be seen as a first step toward further discussion. “In the end, the goal of the Diversity Board is to promote diversity within the company, to look at it from multiple perspectives and to put it into practice. Because that ultimately benefits all employees,” concludes Uta Anders.