Q&A With Christian Weber: Managing Director of Credera Deutschland

Credera Team

Q&A With Christian Weber: Managing Director of Credera Deutschland

As of February 15, 2023, Credera officially launched Credera Deutschland with the opening of our Berlin office.

We sat down with Christian Weber, managing director of Credera Deutschland, to learn more about his journey to leadership at Credera Deutschland and his vision for the future of the office in Germany.

Q&A With Christian Weber

Tell us about your journey to become the Managing Director of Credera Deutschland.

My path to Credera began during my time at university. On one hand, I had a preference for the mathematically sober view of complex issues in operations research, and on the other, I enjoyed the strategic and cultural view with the lens of organizational theory. Despite recommendations from my professors to start my career at a large corporation outside the consulting industry, I followed my passion for consulting with a focus on technology, management, and communication.

I started my career at a medium-sized consulting firm and worked on various automotive and banking projects, from decentralized customer relationship management (CRM) systems to connected cars. I came to Smart Digital via initial data-driven projects. At that time, Smart Digital had a team of just 14 colleagues and I was the only classically trained consultant. Our focus was on establishing data-driven tools and processes and documenting clear, positive contributions to results.

In the last few years, Smart Digital grew to over 100 team members, my team to over 30 employees, and we opened a new location in Berlin.

Now, as part of the Credera family, I have the great opportunity to open our first location in mainland Europe. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and, above all, to shaping Credera Deutschland together with old and new acquaintances.

What excites you most about the future of the German offices?

What I find particularly exciting about the launch of Credera Deutschland is that we will be building a new team and new structures here in Germany, but we will also be part of an international network with corresponding resources in the background.

A big part of our challenge will be to find people who develop a passion for working in consulting and who don't see themselves in the industry just for a short career jump. We want to create a culture in which we bring the Credera core values of "humility, excellence, integrity, tenacity, and people first" to life here and where talented people feel they are in good hands for the long run.

What are your passions outside of work?

Outside of work, I try to keep healthy by exercising. Ideally, this includes my weekly jog (with or without baby) and a visit to the gym. Besides that, I try to follow the most important economic and financial news.

Tell us a little about your family.

My family is my wife Isabelle and my 18-month-old daughter Anna. Anna became my very private challenge and a great enrichment for our lives. She gives us her very own tasks far away from the reality we encounter in our professional environment. Conversely, she will not always have it easy as the daughter of two project managers—even the road to her birth was structured by a large Kanban board in her nursery.

How would you describe your approach to leadership?

My personal idea of good leadership is to formulate common, consistent, and concrete goals and also create an environment for each employee to optimize themselves according to their own goals. In many places, this also means leaving room for doing things differently—and I also believe that above all a leader should be a role model.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?

It’s actually not a lesson from my career, but a phrase my grandma once said to me: "Boy, nothing is eaten as hot as it's cooked."

A few months ago, I met a former pilot. He was able to express it in a more professional way. The first thing a pilot learns to do in an emergency is to take a deep breath and keep calm.

We are constantly confronted with alarming messages and problems. The first and most important step is to take a breath and regain your composure. Few problems in this world have been solved in a panic.

Can you share about a time you made a mistake in your career? How did that change you?

Once, I let myself be persuaded to switch to the corporate side after all. That was an eventful six months. However, it was absolutely not the working environment for me. I now appreciate the opportunities in consulting even more.

What advice would you give to early career consultants who aspire to have a career like yours?

Take advantage of the opportunities that come your way and don't wait for someone else to take them for you.

Work with discipline on your tasks and try to put the results on paper and share them.

Be attentive and prepared in every appointment.

What’s your biggest hope for the offices in Germany?

My biggest hope is that in a few years we look back together as a team and say, "That was really challenging, we grew together, and it's still a whole lot of fun."

Learn more about Christian Weber and our Germany office.

Working at Credera

At Credera, we have a culture that values the many unique perspectives, backgrounds, and histories that our employees represent. If you’re interested in a career at Credera and beginning your journey, please visit our careers page.