Success Stories 2018 by JE Europe

is the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises.

Our MISSION is to encourage entrepreneurship in Europe by fostering a unique concept:

the Junior

Enterprise, a non profit business managed solely by students, that invests its earnings into its own development.

330 Junior Enterprises

28,000 Members

15 European Countries

JADE is one of the most powerful European student organizations that fights skills mismatch and creates great potential for a more entrepreneurial society and active citizenship. We see the future as an opportunity to further develop JADE in all the universities around Europe, in order to build a strong network and to give students the opportunity to discover Europe in a different way. 2

Students fostering entrepreneurship since 1992 The

Success Stories booklet

of 2018 showcases the

AMAZING stories of former Junior Entrepreneurs from the JE network who were open to sharing their experience and motivate our current network to do more and do better. In this booklet you will get to know about their experiences and very important tips that could help your development and future successes! Additionally, this year, we wanted to make a farewell of some of the most relevant stories from the numerous editions of the Success Stories of the previous years, we hope you will find them inspiring!

for more Success Stories and Web exclusives! @jade_network /JADE.Network @JADEnetwork www.jadenet.org

Isabella Florio

Head of Alumni Management

Summary Understanding entrepreneurship Tibor Navracsis on Junior Enterprises

Success Stories Dilek AYHAN – World Economic Forum

Cahê KUCTZERA TOPOROWICH – Amaris

Samuel TAMBA – ENGIE

Andre CARBONE – DLA Piper

Michał OLSZEWSKY – Movens Capital

Isidro LASO – Startup Europe European Comission

Azzurra GIORGIO – in-recruiting

Stefano TOMMASI - Innext

Dennis TAN - Dashmote

Bianca GFREI – Kiweno

Bastian NOMINACHER

Tibor Navracsics Dear European Confederation of Junior Enterprises, Dear JADE,

Youth employment is still at unacceptable levels in Europe, while thousands of enterprises in Europe are ready to recruit but do not find people with the right skills. Bridging the gap between education and the labour market and fostering an entrepreneurial mind-set is therefore vital – for policy-makers as well as for business and civil society. The work of organisations like the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises (JADE) has an important part to play in this. As Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, I would like to express my strong support to them and all the Junior Enterprises across Europe; through their daily activities, they support young people in developing valuable skills, boosting their entrepreneurial spirit and ensuring a smooth transition to the job market. This is an excellent way to help ensure that Europe fully taps its most precious resource: the talent of its people. I would like to congratulate the Junior Enterprise movement for its actions in Europe and around the world and the impact it has on young people‘s lives – and the future of our societies. Thanks a lot for your commitment and keep up with the good work. TIBOR Navracsis, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport

Dilek AYHAN

Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum

Dilek is a former JADE President during the term 2003/2004 and her her professional career ranged from creating and managing Alarga, a company that helped leading businesses in Norway to strengthen their international competitiveness to becoming the State Secretary and Deputy Minister in the Nor- wegian minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. Let’s hear more about her story!

Tell us a little bit about your journey in the JE Network. How involved were you in it? I have to say that my JE experience was very intense and I was always extremely passionate about it. As it often happens, I went to a presentation of “Student Consult” at my university in Oslo. I come from an entrepreneurial family, so it is in my blood to be attracted from these sort of opportunities. The Junior Enterprise looked like the place I could test myself and try new challenges and it couldn’t have been more true. Additionally, Student Consult was at its prime time, they had just moved in the new office and I started working on real projects. Soon after, I joined the Executive Board of my JE and contributed extensively to the development of the JE. Two years after, I joined

the Norwegian Confederation as International Manager for two years and that’s how I got in touch with the international network and JADE. After ending my term, I candidate myself for JADE and became its President. What was one of the most interesting projects you remember working on? During my term, we initiated the conversation with Brasil Junior to create the Junior Enterprise World Conference (JEWC) and knowing that JEWC is very relevant years after and is becoming increasingly popular is definitely a great satisfaction as we did this to unify the network globally. What is the most valuable skill/element the JE experience taught you? And how did it help in your professional career? I think the JE experience taught me so much that is hard to pick one skill only. This unforgettable journey gave me and thousands of other people a platform to grow, test, try, fail and network along like-minded people. A platform may not be a skill per sè, but It was for me one of the most pivotal factors which contributed to my professional development following my JE experience.

Dilek’s advice My tip is very simple a straight-forward: follow your heart. Life is short, and this means that you have only so much time to enjoy it experimenting and doing what you really want to do. Work is going to be a huge part of your life and finding something that truly fulfils you, will be fundamental for your wellbeing. Think big and turn your dreams into a reality, but remember, that you will have to work extremely hard to achieve them!

CahĂŞ KUCTZERA TOPOROWICZ Director at AMARIS, Lyon, Grenoble and Sao Paolo

Tell us a little bit about your journey in the JE Network. How involved were you in it? In 2009, I was already a student at INSA Lyon and a Brazilian friend of mine who was part of ETIC told me to join as a member. While I was at university, I was looking at ways to improve my French and my professionalism, so I thought I should give it a go. Back then, ETIC was much smaller than it is now, we had about 10 members and I entered the business development department. After a but more than a year, I had to quit as my grades were low and had to focus on my studies, on the other hand, after 6 months or so, I came back and was Head of Business Development and after a year I became President of ETIC which, in the meantime, reached 90 members.

How did your career at Amaris start? I think the way it started was quite interesting and unexpected. I went to a job fair through ETIC to make some cold contacts and 8

there I met Oliver Bourant, the CEO of a “small” company at the time (around 100 emoloyees) called Amaris, and that was my first contact with the organisation. I then came back with the team from ETIC to try and raise some projects but our original plan wasn’t so successful. On the other hand, he offered to recruit us, and I guess that’s how it all started.

What is the most valuable skill the JE experience taught you? And how did it help in your professional career? The number one skill that it taught me that it is extremely relevant to my job is: People’s Pilotage (when you are not a direct manager). When I was president of ETIC, of course, there were not enough projects to make 90 people highly involved so you had to become creative and that meant creating work initiatives to keep the team motivated. That taught me a lot about people and now that I manage around 500 people, the challenge today isn’t anymore about having few projects, but it is about building relationships with people who I am not directly managing. Is there anything else you would like to add? Yes, I think that there is another pivotal element that it will be useful for Junior Entrepreneurs that will soon start their careers after the JE. You will have to make sure you know how to separate professional and personal life. It will come naturally to be friends with your colleagues, bosses or employees, at the same time, you always have to make sure that when your taking a decision or a discussion at work you always keep it unbiased and professional.

Dilek’s tip Cahê’s advice

Be humble: I met many people in my life (including JEurs) very arrogant and full of themselves. You can reach very high positions (even managing people holder than you), but you still have to be humble to gain trust and have credibility.

Samuel TAMBA

Societal Innovation & Ecosystem Transformation Analyst at ENGIE

Samuel Tamba works as a Societal Innovation & Ecosystem Transformation Analyst at ENGIE. He pursed his bachelor degree at ICN Business School (Nancy) and Masters at the Ecole de Guerre Economique (Paris) in Competitive Intelligence Strategy. Tell us a little bit about your journey in the JE Network! How involved were you in it? Well, actually my story within the Junior Enterprise network started thanks to a friend of mine. He was at the time a member of MarketingMediterranee and he strongly advised me to join a JE once I enrolled at university. So I did. Shortly after, I joined ICN Junior Conseil in Nancy and worked my way up to Vice-Chairman of the Junior Enterprise and after my second year inside it, I decided that it was the right moment to work at national level. I was elected Vice-President for External Affairs of CNJE and at the same time I was also an auditor for the national confederation.

What is the most valuable skill the JE experience taught you? And how did it help in your professional career? There is more than one skill that I think it has really helped me in my professional career, but if I had to pick one I would say, organisation. Within a professional environment organisation is key; it allows you to structure your work properly so you can be much more efficient and result oriented while doing a report/task. Additionally, although organisation can be quite subjective, for me it was very beneficial to do my work step-by-step rather than trying to juggle between different tasks without concrete results.

What would be your approach to becoming more organized? As I said, organisation is very subjective. On the other hand, the first step to understanding what’s best for you is surely introspection. Becoming aware of your own mental processes is fundamental if you want to become more organised. Additionally, introspection will help you understand you strength and weaknesses so you can work on improving yourself everyday. Dilek’s tip Samuel’s advice Start your life to find out who you are. You will never really understand things about yourself if you don’t push yourself outside your zone of comfort. So in other words, get uncomfortable!

Andrea CARBONE

Trainee Solicitor at DLA Piper UK LLP

Andrea Carbone first obtained his Law Degree cum laude at the UniversitĂ Cattolica di Milano, before moving to London to launch his career. Within his four th year at u n i ve r s i t y h e h a d wo n a scholarship to attend Boston University and pursued his Master at Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College London. Tell us a little bit about your journey in the JE Network! How involved were you in it? When I joined university I wanted to go further and do something practical while studying and luckily I found JECatt, which has been a fundamental part of my development. I joined as a member in the Legal department, but I was also dealing with Sales, Marketing & Communication and HR Areas, so I not only worked with Law students but also with Economics and Psychology ones. I then became the Head of the Legal Area in JECatt and the rest is history.

What is the most valuable skill the JE experience taught you? And how did it help in your professional career? A skill that I think is fundamental is adaptability: not only linguistic but also mental. I have adapted to everyday debate with people with a different mindset, to a result-oriented workspace, and to a law firm that work as a real company. In fact, I work in a law firm, which is close to a bank or an insurance firm, in which there are many leaders and colleagues. Any plan for the future? â&#x20AC;¨

I will be in London for the next eight or ten years, working on controversies and arbitrations. However, I will also do something in order to have my qualification recognized in Italy, to keep the home door always open.

Dilekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice tip Andreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s An advise that I think it can be useful to everybody, whether you come from a business, engineering, law or whatever background is try to think like those ones you are facing, and trying to understand what they expected from you.

Michał OLSZEWSKY Managing Partner at Movens Capital

Michał graduated from the Warsaw School of Economics as well as CEMS Master in International Management, studied also at the London School of Economics. He has over 10-years’ experience in venture capital and private equity transactions as founder, fund manager or advisor on both buy- and sell-side. Between 2009 and 2013, he was Head of Private Equity at Opera TFI, a fund manager. Earlier, Michal co-managed Business Angel Seedfund, set up together with four prestigious family offices which followed twoyear-long involvement in setting up and developing of Lewiatan Business Angels.

Tell us a little bit about your journey in the JE Network. How involved were you in it? Cytnhia Wolfsdorf, JADE President in the year 1997/1998 brought the JE idea to the Warsaw School of Economics in 1997. We started to work in a small group of people and founded ConQuest Consulting, formerly known as, Junior Consulting Group. Shortly after the structure was formed, we received support from a JE in 14

Berlin that gave us a lot of resources and tips on project methodologies, client acquisition, etc. Additionally, participating in JADE meetings enabled us to network, exchange experiences and set up partnerships to sell projects to companies from all over Europe planning to enter Poland. What is the most valuable skill the JE experience taught you? And how did it help in your professional career? The JE experience made me much more aware of myself and what I was able to do and where I had to improve. Overall, I feel like the experience really boosted my self-confidence as well as my team working abilities and meeting management. Self-confidence was extremely important especially when it came down to selling a project or negotiating during a meeting. In terms of time management, as you have many projects and meetings to do during your JE experience, you become increasingly aware of time and how important is to manage it properly. The same for teamwork, having worked in many different teams I become adaptable to the different working styles making your job a better one.

Have you ever wanted to become an entrepreneur? Sort of… Once being in a JE, I realised everything is possible and after some years of “apprenticeship” working as an employee, I decided that it was the right time to become an employer and I started my entrepreneurial journey. Dilek’s advice tip Michał’s Enjoy the challenge, build trust and long-term relationships, and do something new once running JE project(s) start to get easy! You should always be challenging yourself and test your limits!

Isidro LASO

Head of Startup Europe European Commission

Isidro Laso works for the European Commission in the area related to innovative businesses, currently leading the Commission’s initiative to support startups called “Startup Europe”. Startup Europe’s aim is to turn Europe into a “Startup Continent” where all startups and stakeholders are connected. Mr. Laso is especially working on regulation and policy development related to building this ecosystem. What was your role in your Junior Enterprise and what did it teach you? I created the JE called AgriJunior in the agronomic engineering school of technical university of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) 20 years ago. It was my first experience in creating a legal entity, that I run for 3 years; in the end we had more than 40 students working for different companies: it was a gig thing! Thinking about what I learned with respect to university, I’d say: §  How to set up a company §  How negotiate with other businesses, or motivate students to work §  Getting a hold of the most interesting technical developments back then and today - geographical information such as ESRI and Google Maps (one of our clients worked in this field)

How did you think about starting your own business? Why in this field? After university, after experiencing funding a Junior Enterprise and getting contracts with clients, I was attracted to entrepreneurship and decided to try. I founded a software SME working on automatic green houses and interactions with sensors and actuators - very innovative at the time. I was an engineer working in the area of agriculture and the most innovative ideas were related to green houses and hydroponic crops, which is what my company did (calculation composition of water and taking nutrients to compensate the water for plants to have the right nutrients). It was a very innovative and growing industry! Do you think entrepreneurship is something we can learn in school, is it in our blood, or it is something we should “learnby-doing? You need to have something inside - many people have this, but then it is about doing it. I think the ideal entrepreneurship course would push students to actually set up a business: in most countries it can be done in few days and with little funds. You need to try for real and make real business, get clients and sign contracts. The whole class should be about setting up the business for real – not creating a business plan but actually pitching to potential investors. What are your expectations about the evolution of your career?   As an entrepreneur there is a moment when you want to pursue a new adventure. In the European Commission you can change sector relatively fast: after 5 years in Startup Europe I am still working to make it bigger and grow, but the EC also gives you the chance to try different things and as an entrepreneur I also look at new challenges.

What’s the difference between being your own boss and working for a company? It is a big difference: it is a matter of risk aversion and how much risk you are ready to cope with. When I created my SME I did not have a family so I could risk more; now I have children - 6 – and even though I am still willing to take some risk I want to do it in a different way. This is why I decided to go to work for an employer: I became what now is called an intrapreneur. I worked first in Bossard – in strategic consultancy - and as an intrapreneur I developed a new business area focusing on geographic information systems applied to business: it was first case in Spain where a big company was using this technique to associate customers to different service providers. Later on I moved to other big companies where I also had the chance to create new departments, and then in the European Commission where I created an area called “collaborative working environment” and later “Startup Europe”. As an intrapreneur you can also create new things, but the risk is lower compared to being an entrepreneurs […] even though I must say it is not as rewarding as creating your own private endeavour.

Dilek’sadvice tip Isidro’s Try again and again - and then be ready to change your mind and try something new. You need to fail before making something big: you need to fail to be able to learn and make your next project bigger. It is a cycle : try and fail fast, learn fast.

Azurra GIORGIO

CEO at in-recruiting

How much were you involved in your Junior Enterprise and/ or Confederation? What was the added value with respect to the university? My experience in the J.E. movement changed my life and made it full of wonderful opportunities to learn and grow, as well as full of great people that are still part of my life today. I’ve been involved both in my Junior Enterpris (JEME Bocconi) and in JADE Italia as Vice President and Responsible for Communication and International Relations, as well as project manager and team member: I really experienced all the best from the movement and it gave me the opportunity to face the real world and become a professional, even before finishing my studies. It was a boost for my career but, most of all, one of the deepest experiences I still bring with me in my heart. Still today, everyday, I benefit from what I’ve learnt in those great years. How did you think about starting your own business? Why in this field? I’ve always been a person who “does” and “makes things happen”: I love to create things from nothing and to make things real, but the J.E. experience made my entrepreneurial spirit living! Actually, everything started in a group of former J.E. colleagues: Matteo Cocciardo involved me in the project and, supported by other 4 J.E. friends, we built up the first release of the software and installed the business in the incubator of Turin Polytechnic University. Our interest in HR and recruiting came from the experience in our

Junior Enterprises: we all had organized career days and had contacts with HR managers from international top companies…we really were into the business! What are the main issues you faced? Of course, working every day for In-recruiting has been full of issues. Sometimes I failed facing them, sometimes I was successful. But every time I gained more experience and learnt something new to go ahead. Maybe the most difficult issue was to stay strong and full of trust, positivity and faith: you need to have a good attitude, in good and in bad times, to keep on searching for success.

Do you think entrepreneurship is something we can learn in school, or is it in our blood, or it is something we should “learnby-doing? I am convinced that entrepreneurial spirit is something that can be in your heart since you are a little girl or boy, but it can also arise from experiences you live and people you meet in your life, as it has happened to me. Spirit is a fundamental part of entrepreneurship but it is not everything: you also need competences and capabilities that can be built thanks to experiences “on the job”…but you also need to study! Regulations, business planning and accounting techniques, investors and market practices are part of the knowledge that entrepreneurs should own to be competitive: I am convinced that these can be subjects of university courses, especially if strongly linked to real cases presented to students.  . 20

How is digitalization changing the scene for entrepreneurs? Digitalization means more and more opportunities everyday: opportunities to learn, to develop your products/ services, as well as to acquire customers and expand your business. Of course it also increases threats: your competitors will have the same opportunities and they will take a look at your business more easily Dilek’s advice tip Azurra‘s Be prepared to see things changing: your initial vision will undergo numerous modifications, some depending on the real market you will face, some depending on your changing mindset…everyday you’ll have new experiences and will learn new things! Then, build a strong entrepreneurial idea: a solid and backed up concept is fundamental, and be sure that it will be shared and understood among your adventure companions. Last but not least, especially if you are looking for investments, build a strong team: concepts can change, market conditions can change…but your team will be the real object of interest of potential investors. Team means people, people means competences as well as passions.

Stefano TOMMASI Co-founder and Partner at Innext

“As an entrepreneur, I have a great flexibility in what I can do in my company and this is one of the intriguing aspects of my job. Also, it's important to respect the organization we have drawn at Innext in order to allow everybody to perform at their best in their roles”. How much were you involved in your J.E.? When I was in a JE as the financial manager of JEME Bocconi in Milan, in 1995; the most important experience for me was working with people that became my friends, working together as a team: we were enjoying what we were doing. It was really intense, we pushed hard. This experience required considerable efforts but at the same time we were learning and growing a lot. In 1997, I became part of the Executive Board of JADE in Brussels and it was a rewarding experience as well. To me, my JE experience has been the foundation of my company Innext. I created it in 2003 with two friends coming from my Junior Enterprise. How did you think about starting your own business? n 2003 I founded Innext with two friends of mine coming from JEME Bocconi. It was a real challenge: at the beginning there were just the three of us and it was really hard to tell the others that we were creating a company. Nowadays we are a multiservice firm specialized in Change Management and Digital Innovation. We are

among the few “Google for Work Premier Partners” in Italy and by far the best recognized one in change management.

What are the main issues you faced? Not only at the beginning, but also afterwards we could not afford to have a salary. We had to provide guarantees for the loan that we received from the bank. Sometimes we had disagreements with our customers, our employees and even between partners. Being an entrepreneur on your own is not the same when you share a company. People have different points of view and you need to take it into account. Do you think entrepreneurship is something we can learn in school, is it in our blood, or it is something we should “learnby-doing? Entrepreneurship has always been in my DNA along with my attitude towards risk-taking . For me, an entrepreneur has to be brave enough to stand for the ideas he believes in, in addition to creating positive relationships and a synergistic work environment. For more than 10 years we have been providing our clients with innovative solutions in order to help them renewing themselves and improve their business. Together we are a team who works hard and takes risks, always moved by passion and a strong propensity to Innovation. I have also been working as a trainer and I am passionate about being a management consultant and VP of Confindustria Assoconsult, the Association that represents the main Italian management consulting companies.

Stefanoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice When you are working for your Junior Enterprise, you are often working until really late in the evening. At Innext we also work hard and at the same time we have this nice feeling of belonging: because growth is a passion, an amusement in a big sense. The feeling of satisfaction while we are working is always by our side.

Dennis TAN

CEO & Co-founder at Dashmote How much were you involved in your J.E. / Confederation; and what did it teach you that your university couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t? I was Chairman of the Rotterdam branch of UniPartners. Besides this, I also became part of the Policy team of the National board of UniPartners. The time spent in the Junior-Enterprise was a unique opportunity to be ready for the professional world, as an entrepreneur as well as within a corporation. For those who dedicate themselves to entrepreneurship, Junior-Enterprises let you have a glance at all the departments: Human resources, Project management, Sales etc. I learned to be proactive. Personally, I was an entrepreneur before joining the JuniorEnterprise, but I worked alone; this experience taught me to collaborate, to motivate a team. Through the Junior-Enterprise events, national and international meetings, we talked to people with a business mindset, it pushed us to learn more and go further. Finally, your Junior-Enterprise experience gives you a unique story, almost everyone likes the Junior-Enterprise concept.

What is the current status of your business? What are your next plans? Dashmote was launched 5 months ago, we raised 450Â 000 Euro to build the product. For now the beta version is available, and we will release the first version to the public within 2 months. My next step will be to make people know about it. What are the main issues you faced? With Dashmote, for the first time I had to work with people younger than me. It took me some time to get used to it. I recognize that it has its benefit and defaults. For instance young people are more enthusiastic and motivated, however, their mood is more variable than older people. Also, they are not yet confident of their skills. Finally, I am now working with people from many different nationalities, and there is sometimes a gap. Some people, for example, will express themselves more directly than others. It takes extra energy to put everyone on the same level.

Dennisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; advice

Be smart in your way of working. By smart I mean, do not stick to the things you like but go further and work on the things you may fail on.

Bianca GFREI

CEO & Co-founder at Kiweno How much were you involved in your J.E. / Confederation; and what did it teach you? I was with Icons – consulting by students for almost 3 years, in that time I first led the Marketing&IT department and finally was a member of the management team. As a managing director, I led a team of 25 student consultants and conducted consulting projects in various sectors, including FMCG and renewable energies. In that time I also had the honor to present my J.E. at JADE Spring meeting 2013 in Brussels, where we won the excellence award for the most entrepreneurial junior enterprise. I am still very connected to the team and my J.E. My time with icons was the best preparation for being an entrepreneur. You have to learn fast, take over responsibility, collaborate, innovate and try things you haven’t learned in school or university and thus grow beyond yourself. I took away that believing in yourself is the initial step, that just doing it is often more important than long strategic planning and how much you can achieve in a great, motivated team. How did you think about starting your own business? Why this product/ service?

I started my business out of a personal problem – I had to do several blood tests which was not only expensive but also very time-consuming and unpleasant. Plus, I didn’t even receive my own

medical reports that enabled me to understand my own health. I wondered if the process could be improved. Together with my two co-founders, an internist and a sports management graduate, we started with the idea of developing easy home-to-laboratory tests, that can be sold in pharmacies and by doctors. We soon realized that we could go even further and directly address our customers – we are entering a new area of personalized, more connected healthcare. The rise of smartphones made it possible to have a doctor in your pocket. What is the current status of your business? What are your next plans? We have done more than 2,5 years of research and development, conducted a one year test period in the pharmacy market and are now operational with our consumer brand Kiweno. We received a mid 6-digit funding at the beginning of 2015, won a startup challenge at the Pioneers Festival, Europe’s leading tech conference, and thus received a lot of media attention. Before we even officially launched our online platform, our sales already exceeded our expectations and our team will have tripled by the beginning of summer. We are happy with the current status. The next step will be the launch of additional self-tests in summer, development and introduction of new online features and the introduction of our iOS and Android app by September. We also plan to enter new markets by the end of 2015.

What are the main issues you faced? Raising our first round of money was a real challenge – we underestimated how much time, energy and dedication is necessary. It is challenging to find the right people that really believe your idea and the team and not only want to squeeze money out of. I also learned to trust my instincts and listen to my gut feelings in that time.

Bianca’s advice

My advice is to be open – talk to people about your idea, nothing is more valuable that honest feedback that brings you further, don’t be afraid of criticism – learn from it, but never let others get you down. It takes time and endurance - so believe in yourself and your idea. And finally, the best advice is probably to just get started - you just have to say let’s do it and give it a go!

Bastian

NOMINACHER

CO-CEO & Co-founder at Celonis

Bastian Nominacher has studied at the Technical University Munich, where he was also part of the Academy Consult M ü n c h e n e . V. , a J u n i o r Enterprise under the German National Confederation of Junior Enterprises, BDSU. The experience brought him, together with two other colleagues of his JE, to founding Celonis in 2011. Tell us a little bit about your journey in the JE Network! How involved were you in it? I was involved way over my head! Throughout my entire time in University, starting from the very first semester, I worked at Academy Consult Munich, and I really enjoyed it. There I had the opportunity to work on more than 20 projects, some of which were also internal and had me cover important roles, such as the creation of our Centre for Business Technology.

What is the most valuable element the JE experience gave you? How did it help in your professional career? I guess the most valuable experience is probably that Academy Consult is where I met my two other co-founders, Martin Klenk and Alex Rinke, with whom I founded Celonis. But there are so many more great experiences, that it would take too long to talk about them all. What is the impact of the JE experience in your current role? Or roles that you had? Working in a Junior Enterprise made me develop leadership skills a lot earlier than other people, and it made me realise that in the business world is mandatory to have the spirit to outperform. Even today as Co-CEO of Celonis I still think that these are key traits that I need!

Bastian’s advice

I fully believe that the more you put in the Junior Enterprise experience the more you get back from it. Therefore, you should not hold back when investing time into this experience.

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