Next in our Meet the Team series is Lena Holtmann, an intern at our Dual Study by HPE program and a German student at Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University.
As a DualStudy student in digital business management at HPE, what does your placement involve?
In each of my three-month internships, I gain insights into different departments at HPE, like sales, marketing, and innovation. Right now, I am performing a triangulation and competitive analysis, learning about the OEM industry, supporting the social responsibility program, making interviews for social content, and attending team meetings.
During each three-month internship, I will get a really great overview and gain some knowledge on every department, which I can apply to my future job after my studies. Right now, I am really looking forward to the remaining time of my current internship with my host manager, Paul Santilli (if you are reading this: thank you a lot!).
Tell us a bit about the DualStudy by HPE program.
โDualStudy by HPEโ is a program in Germany where students are employed at HPE for three years, and they switch between going to university and working every three months. We always must apply for our internships on our own, but we can still choose what we want to do during our placement.
We also receive monthly education compensation, which is a great benefit. With DualStudy by HPE, I donโt have as many university fees, meaning I am able to secure my own living and donโt have to depend on my parents, for example. Also, we have the chance to do internships abroad; right now, I am in Houston until the end of November. I am very thankful for all the opportunities I get because of this program!
What have you enjoyed most about your time at HPE so far?
Our company culture makes working at HPE so much fun. I can definitely say that I enjoy going to work, especially at our Houston headquarters. Even during the COVID restrictions in Germany where I was not allowed to go into an office, I was still able to sense that โweโ feeling in my little home office.
Tell us about your university degree. Which subject area do you find the most interesting?
I am currently in my fourth year studying business administration and digital business management. In general, we discuss topics like economic and operational management with a focus on digitalization. Personally, I liked all subjects about digital transformation the most. I really like subjects where I can get a little creative.
How have you found the culture in the US? How does it differ from where youโre from in Germany?
In the US, it is really the people that make the country so unique and special. The people are much more friendly and open. Everywhere I go here in the US, they welcome me with open arms.
The tech world is increasing its efforts to build diversity into the workforce. In your opinion, how can the industry increase the representation of women?
There is no all-encompassing answer to this question. All companies understand generally that female employees are a key to success. There are many studies that discuss this, one of them being that multi-gendered teams show higher productivity.
I think in general there are different factors that inhibit the representation of women, both inside and outside of the business. Inside the company, we need to dismantle traditional female job roles and create new ones that can inspire women and girls. Female employees must be promoted more as they progress within their company, especially when it comes to academia and STEM.
I believe a quota for hiring women should also be introduced, so businesses can give women better chances during the hiring process. Companies should delegate someone to be responsible for securing the quota and equal treatment so not only are more women hired, but also promoted internally as well. You canโt have more women in STEM if you donโt hire themโespecially if theyโre more than qualified.
In addition, I think in general, we need to introduce flexible working hours in the industry so they fit better for employees with families. Family-friendly working conditions also make it easier for mothersโand parents in generalโto return to their jobs after their childโs birth.
In conclusion, I think each and every one of us can help empower female employees and change things in our industry.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
In my free time, I love spending time with my friends and family. Besides that, I like to go on walks or go to the gym. If you donโt find me doing sports, Iโll probably be in the kitchen, because I like to bake and cook a lot. I am especially known for my famous banana breadโeveryone loves it!
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Matt Quirk
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
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MattQuirk
With a passion for innovation and technology, I am lucky enough to work within high-growth opportunities across multiple industries including manufacturing, healthcare, energy, media and entertainment and security - with technology innovations that are advancing the way people live and work such as AI, autonomous everything and 5G.