"The 'Smith' experience was unique and rewarding for me since the timing was just right for one of my biggest transitions: moving out of Europe into corporate America..."

Tanja Lindermeier | Director Advanced Technologies, Johnson & Johnson | USA

The back-to-business experience certainly filled in my gaps of financial understanding and enabled me to take a CEO view of the various companies. But the biggest challenge is to sustain the learning, thus our company's team agreed to reconnect after the regular analyst meetings to continue the discussion and solidify our financial understanding. Keeping this virtual team together requires leadership in creating a heartbeat and a rhythm, just like a conductor. Yes, I have always wondered what his role is, but now I know it: To show where to go and not how to get there!

This differentiation of the "what" and "how" I had also picked up during the panel discussion of the senior female leaders of the different companies. This group of success models has been one of the highlights for me: What struck me was the openness, empathy and engagement of those leaders. It became clear to me that each and every one of us in the audience has a responsibility for the women who come after us. So it is partially about me, but also about the bigger picture.

Better than the learning was the personal experience of diving into a sea of incredible diversity - 80 women from different corporations, functions and regions. Never again I will feel such high energy for 24hr/14 days!