Women Leaders at ImmoScout24: Kristina Müller, Teamlead Account- and Key Account Management Commercial

What's your position at the company and how would you explain what you do to your grandparents?

At ImmoScout24, I work as Team Lead Account- and Key Account Management Commercial. I always explain to my grandmother that my team and I are responsible for the success of our commercial real estate customers. This means we advise our clients on how to lease or sell their space and properties very quickly by advertising them on our website. And since it has a monthly reach of about 14 million users, it is the most accessible and successful way to position ourselves in the market. But in the end, as I always tell my grandmother, we are responsible for making our customers successful and happy.

What has been your biggest challenge at ImmoScout24 so far and how have you mastered it?

My biggest challenge as a Team Leader at ImmoScout24 was at the same time my most inspiring and also most surprising professional experience. With the situation of facing the challenges of a pandemic - which was completely new for all of us – and thus no longer seeing a team in person from one day to the next, but instead managing it exclusively remotely, it became clear very quickly that my team has mastered this challenge with a great deal of creativity, energy, humor and drive. Not only have we not lost contact with each other in the last few months, but we have grown even stronger together and have more than successfully mastered the challenges.

What does success in sales mean at ImmoScout24?

Being successful in sales at ImmoScout24 means first and foremost knowing our customers and their wishes and visions, and precisely understanding their business model and strategy. If we can help our customers become even more successful, then this is our success as well.

What energises you about your work?

I am inspired everyday by the successes of my team and how creatively and energetically they master every challenge and with how much great know-how they do their job.

What is your leadership style?

I see myself as a people builder in the original sense of the word. Primarily and first of all, I see the strengths of my employees. For me, it's always the "we" that counts, not "me" and the team. My most important focus is to support my team. Jokingly, I sometimes refer to myself as the "maid of all work". But above all, I maintain absolutely open and transparent communication. All in all, I would say that my leadership style is one of absolute partnership.

As a female leader you are a role model to others. Who is your role model?

The answer to this question was not easy for me, because there are so many female role models I could name: Simone de Beauvoir, Nina Simone, Aung San Suu Kyi, Marie Curie, just to name a few, but in the end I chose Christine Lagarde as my female role model on professional issues.

A lawyer by training, she headed the second largest business law firm in the world, became France's first female finance minister. For the aplomb with which she tackled the 2009 financial crisis, the Financial Times voted her the best finance minister in Europe. Meanwhile, she became the first woman to head the International Monetary Fund. She also networks for other aspiring women at summits and conferences. The way Christine Lagarde positions herself calmly and elegantly but with undeniable strength in a political environment that is still dominated by men impresses me greatly and makes her a great female role model for me.

How do you unplug from work?

In my free time I like reading and relaxing in nature on long walks or in the summer, which is ideal here in Berlin, on trips with our motorboat.

Is there any advice you would want to give to other women?

On the professional path, everything may not always be rosy. Defeats and setbacks are normal but giving up is not an option! I want to say this to all women: get involved, work hard and show yourselves. But most of all, network and support each other. This networking in a professional context has always been normal for men e. g. in the form of men's clubs. Men know how important this networking and also "connections" are. That's why we need networks for women where we support each other, praise and celebrate each other sometimes, and help other women get into leadership positions. Our social goal should be gender balance in all important areas.