Communications is an ever-changing art form. With new tools, channels and trends constantly developing, you have to stay in the loop to stay in the game. This week’s guest, Philipp Schindera, is the SVP of Corporate Communications at Deutsche Telekom. With nearly 14 years at Telekom under his belt, he is a master of evolving with the times. In fact, he says that anyone afraid of change is probably in the wrong industry. In this episode, he speaks to Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson about company evangelists, developing a brand identity, and always being open to new skills.

Is pressure a catalyst for long-term change? For many companies, the impact of the past few months has led to a total shift in communications, both internally and externally. A.P. Moller Maersk is such a company. The global leader in container shipping currently hires over 80,000 people, many of whom are at sea for a large portion of the year. For this week's episode of Expert on Expert, Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson speak to Mette Refshauge, their VP of Corporate Communications and Sustainability. She describes the process of seeing a crisis spread across a global company and Maersk's rapid transition to new digital tools. She also shares her advice for communicators at the beginning of their careers: remember that you are communicating through and for others and not for yourself, and always ensure that you are an expert in strategy while also having the practical skills to execute your plans. 

With an excellent track record in marketing and communications at a range of companies, Sigrid Dalberg-Krajewski is now heading up the Corporate Communications team at Delivery Hero. The past few months have seen remarkable growth for the company, and in this episode she speaks to Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson about working across multiple markets, the importance of staying true to your core message, and working closely with a CEO. Often utilising forward-thinking and digital channels, Sigrid offers great insights into communications at a fast-growing, global organisation.

Welcome to our summer series, Expert on Expert! For the next few months, we will be interviewing the chief communicators from some of the world's leading companies. From Daimler to Siemens, this series is an insight into the inside workings of top-tier communications teams.   This week's guest is Sabia Schwarzer, Global Head of Communications and Responsibility at Allianz. Allianz is the global leader in insurance and financial services. Sabia began her career in Hong Kong as a journalist, on an exchange funded by the German government. During the exchange, she got to know Allianz, one of the sponsors of the exchange, and was offered a job. 23 years later, she is still with Allianz, and highly regarded as one of the most experienced and respected communicators in Europe.  In the episode, she speaks to Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson about the future of PR and responsibility, the traits of a great leader, and building your storytelling around people, not products. 

“If you’re standing still, then you are falling behind.” On this week’s episode of Speak Like a CEO, Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson got the privilege to sit down with Konstanty Sliwowski, the CEO and founder of Caissa Recruitment. The conversation is an amazing insight into the world of talent, recruiting, and how to communicate effectively in the workforce. For anyone feeling uncertain about the job market right now, this is a great reminder that the most important asset for any company is its people.

"Trust is good but control is better." It's the paradigm that has informed German business practice to the present day, but Insa Klasing is trying to turn that around. Following a horse-riding accident, Insa noticed that her team performed much better when they had the space and autonomy to think for themselves. With TheNextWe, Insa is helping corporates to transition to autonomous, digitally-minded company cultures that prioritise success over control.  In this episode she speaks to Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson about leadership and communication, giving practical advice for getting the most out of your team.

Can co-working spaces survive the current crisis? Talent Garden CEO, Davide Dattoli, certainly thinks so. Breaking away from the model used by other co-working providers, Talent Garden specifically seeks out emerging startup ecosystems in southern and eastern Europe, playing an instrumental role in their development. With an emphasis on education, community, and engagement, Davide and his team are here to stay. In this week's episode, he speaks to Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson about remote working, building an audience, and the nuance of different European ecosystems. 

Recently named one of the "15 women in fintech you should know", Aiga Senftleben is leading the charge for gender equality in the world of financial technology. As one of Billie's seven co-founders, she is helping to make B2B transactions sound sexy. In this week's episode, she speaks to Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson about reducing the gender pay gap, successful recruitment, and the importance of face-to-face communication.

Developing house calls for the Zoom generation, TeleClinic is a major step forward for the German healthcare industry. In this week’s episode we talk to the brains behind the company, CEO Katharina Jünger. Giving us an insight into the world of digital healthcare, Katharina shares her thoughts on policy changes and disruptive advertising.

In the current crisis, the aviation industry has been hit hard. Fabio Gamba, head of ACA and ASA, is the voice of the ground handling industry, a collection of hundreds of thousands of men and women who ensure that passengers are safe at every step of the journey. Talking to Oliver Aust and Lena Carlson about the current state of affairs and the upcoming recovery period, in this episode Fabio gives an insight into the work that happens behind the scenes of every single flight. Enjoy the episode!