Sandra Traenckner

Sandra Traenckner started as the second female employee at envelio in June 2018 as an executive assistant. Since then, she has been working in office management. She takes care of a smooth workflow in the company and supports the finance team with the preparatory bookkeeping and accounting.

We interviewed our colleague Sandra.

Did you consciously choose to work in the tech industry, even though you could do your job in any other industry?
I ended up in this industry unplanned. I have always worked in the real estate industry before I joined envelio; partly as a self-employed real estate agent and partly as an employee in large real estate companies, for example as an executive assistant. This position finally led me to envelio. In general, I think the tech sector is very interesting, and it’s a welcome challenge to drive up the still low quota of women. envelio is full of motivation and I was able to be part of it from the very beginning. We work in a forward-looking industry that is driving the energy transition. It’s all about sustainability and environmental awareness, and that is what I want to support and what prompted me to change industries. This way, I can make a small contribution to the energy transition.

How do you get in touch with tech?
I always monitor what we do at envelio. I get to hear a lot about the day-to-day business through conversations, meetings and internal celebrations. Furthermore, I also find it very fascinating what exactly my colleagues do and what brought them to envelio. Every day, I learn something new. Moreover through our website and social media posts, I always stay up to date on awards, trade fair participation and industry news. Overall, I have become much more aware of the topic “renewable energies”.

What is special about working in the tech industry in your career field? What is different about other industries?
For me, the most significant change was the internationality of envelio. The energy transition and topics related to our environment will help determine the future of our children. In the real estate industry, it was more about marketing and mediating. In the energy industry, you work on products that make the world a little better. Furthermore, it is more dynamic and fast-paced. New topics are added rapidly.

How did you come across envelio?
I saw the job advertisement for a responsible position online and felt directly addressed. I saw this job as an opportunity to be part of building something meaningful. After I had a great interview and my experience matched the company’s requirements, I was pleased to accept the position.

What has changed in the company during your time at envelio?
A lot has changed since my early days at envelio. We have grown tremendously and welcomed many great new colleagues. Due to this growth, we needed more space and therefore moved to a modern, new office. I was able to contribute to the move through my experience in the real estate industry, including the beautiful loft in which we work now, it was the first big milestone. The new space allowed us to hire new employees and the teams continued to grow. Fresh ideas were brought into the company and thus new processes were developed. The internationality of the company also increased, we have been able to win many international customers since then.

How would you describe the corporate culture at envelio?
envelio consistently pursues growth and improvement, always in regard of the environment and sustainability. Here, everyone is seen and heard and thus can contribute ideas, even without a tech degree. You are always taken seriously. Furthermore, there is a great cultural diversity. I love the idea of so many people with different backgrounds coming together in one company to advocate for a better future. Everyone is pulling together. We have built a strong togetherness based on collegiality and equality. Moreover, all employees are given a lot of trust by the management — thanks to the many opportunities and flexibility, everyone can live out their creativity and contribute to finding ideas.

What do you enjoy most about your job at envelio?
It’s great that I can learn something new every day because great new things happen here on a daily basis. Through my role as a link between the management level and the employees, I communicate a lot with my colleagues and thus keep being updated about many decisions and being involved into finding solutions for problems. I am also happy about the flexible working hour model. As a mother, it allows me to work efficiently without having to cut back. Of course also the fathers in the company  benefit from this.

In your opinion, why should women apply to envelio?
The opportunities for women at envelio are, so to speak, limitless. That fills me with pride and joy. As a new employee, you immediately feel like an important part of a whole. Especially for parents, the work situation here is enormously helpful.

What needs to change for more women to succeed in tech? What are your wishes for the future?
More companies in this industry should hire women. Of course, there must be enough female graduates for this. So a change in thinking should take place. Women should have the courage to work in the tech area. Talent and affinity are independent of gender. I would like to see equal opportunities established everywhere. Women should be welcomed everywhere professionally with open arms. Furthermore, women’s expertise should be accepted just as much as men’s. The cliché that women have to stay at home after the birth of their child has, thank God, already been loosened or revised. In this respect, however, there is still room for improvement.