Anna Lena Glenewinkel

Anna Lena is a Digital Customer Experience Manager at Konica Minolta's European Headquarters. Thriving in a deeply collaborative setting, she embraces the many opportunities on offer for learning, new experiences, and personal growth. Her story shows how Konica Minolta's flexible and innovative work environment, coupled with the autonomy of her role, shapes her journey within the company.

After completing my business studies, I gained six years of experience as a process manager, and subsequently joined KM first in the same role. The company’s dynamic environment facilitated my swift progression to a senior process manager within a mere 1.5 years. Later, I seized the opportunity to transition to the role of Digital Customer Experience Manager, a testament to the exciting internal mobility opportunities at Konica Minolta. The company’s culture of flexibility allows me to work from any location, which aligns perfectly with my personal life where I enjoy yoga, volleyball and walking my dog.

Konica Minolta fosters a highly collaborative environment

As a team of adaptable professionals in a tech-oriented company, we readily embrace change, introducing new products, services and organisational structures. Our strategic direction, amid business evolution, focuses on transformation as well as growth. Working towards a shared vision, we also have the freedom to decide how to achieve it.

Many of our projects unite individuals from different departments and professional backgrounds, which helps foster the diversity of perspectives we value so highly. Konica Minolta's open and supportive environment encourages an ethos of open-mindedness. We promote active listening and facilitate discussions at all levels, including management.

This level of accessibility and presence in management isn't the case everywhere, which makes me appreciate my position at Konica Minolta even more.

Konica Minolta is a large global corporation founded 150 years ago in Japan. Although I work primarily with European teams, I've also had interactions with Japanese colleagues. Both has given me an intriguing opportunity to observe and acknowledge cultural differences. These interactions provide positive, beneficial exposure at an international level, and serve as a reminder that we're more than just a German or European company.

It's all about customer-centricity

What I find most rewarding about my job is our contribution to shaping Konica Minolta’s digital future, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience. Our team oversees eCommerce solutions across Europe, including a direct sales portal for our customers, an indirect sales portal for partners, and online eOrdering functions for global clients. Right now, we’re addtionally rolling out a new eShop across Europe. This programmehas an international scope and we collaborate closely with local organisations as well. Our responsibilities encompass a mix of strategic planning and operational tasks. Integrating strategic-level work with actions that yield tangible outcomes is a real motivating factor for me.

My role involves interacting with our sales and service divisions, who are in direct contact with our customers.

I take great pride in our department’s work, especially our focus on using digital tools to shape the future of our business.

Of course, like many other companies, we also face some challenges. Our team is full of innovative ideas for new features, functionalities and potential directions. But bringing these ideas to life and integrating them into our day-to-day operations isn't always straightforward. You can't just enable a feature or function and expect everyone to happily start using it. We operate in a rapidly changing environment, with a transforming the printing business, and we have to adapt accordingly. Though the journey might sometimes seem difficult, everyone's aware of the need for change and is willing to explore new directions.

Konica Minolta is a company that empowers its employees

The company allows and supports us to take charge and have a significant impact in our respective areas. It provides ample opportunities to get involved in various projects and initiatives, such as the Agile Lab and the Transformation Innovation Programme (TIP). The Agile Lab offers a safe, collaborative environment to learn about, experience and try out agile methodologies. Within the TIP, colleagues worldwide join forces each year in cross-functional teams for a six-month journey. They tackle future business challenges, engage with clients, and deep-dive into innovative techniques for bringing new offerings to the market.

I had the privilege of joining the TIP in 2020 and again in 2023, this time as a team leader. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme continued by transitioning to a virtual format, fostering innovation and collaboration across the world. It served as a safe space for me to test ideas, hone my skills, and manage team dynamics. This kind of experience is an opportunity to face change as part of a team. I learned to adopt a strategy of effective communication, focusing on the team’s needs, and finding adaptive ways to move forward to foster business development. I view change as an opportunity for growth – a perspective that was reinforced by the positive outcomes from the TIP. We indeed won the Audience Award this year!

I also draw inspiration from other programmes like ShePlus. In this programme – tailored for women but also open to men – an opportunity is givento systematically build a network around a business goal.

Even though I don’t participate in this programme yet, the fact they exist signifies Konica Minolta’s commitment to employees’ growth.

Konica Minolta is moving forward with social responsibility

When it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Konica Minolta has a clear agenda and is committed to making a substantial impact that goes way beyond ticking boxes or making numbers.

In addition to programmes like ShePlus, our Employee Ressource Groups like VIBRANT (our LGBTQ+ network) and the KM Business Women Network support this trend. While change is gradual, especially in achieving diverse management, there’s a growing awareness of its necessity.

As a young female professional in a historically male-dominated company, I’ve learned to assert my presence and voice. I’ve never felt marginalised or silenced because of my gender. On the contrary: I’ve always felt empowered to voice my opinions and correct inappropriate behaviour. I now work in a unit led by a woman, which I find inspiring.