People @ Billie: Get to know our VP People Anja Stadeler

In 2019, Anja was looking for advice about the Berlin Startup-world from one of Billies Co-founders- and then she got stuck at the FinTech. Read about her exciting journey from OKR-Management to Product Operations Manager up to VP People & Organization.

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Anja Stadeler. I am from a small area around Berlin called Strausberg. So basically I am "from here", at least I do know the Berlin accent. Apart from a short stopover in England for two years, I have always lived in Berlin.

When did you join the Billie-team?

In February 2020, 6 weeks before the first lockdown. I was lucky to meet all my coworkers at that time personally, before everyone started working remotely.

Why did you choose Billie?

I have known Christian, one of our co-founders, since 2011. He used to be my mentor during an applicant program. I reached out to him again to receive advice from him about entering the Berlin startup world. At that time he was looking for someone, who would manage the OKR-process and so it started. Billie and its people were so cool. I mean the company's name says it all.

My interviews with Christian, Matthias, Michael and Aiga were challenging, greatly prepared and very inspirational. I was excited about the challenge of turning over the company's strategy process throughout every department. In various consulting projects, I already had the feeling that corporations are interested in the startup way of working. That was my chance to experience it first hand. Other than that, I love the dynamic and international environment with professional structures and colleagues, from whom I still learn every day.

What was your first impression of Billie?

Simply cool! Super beautiful office with an amazing view over Berlin and so international. My first contact took place at the Christmas party, before I even started working at Billie: It was a full-on party with great people!

What was your starting role at Billie and how has your career evolved since then?

I started in Business Development with an internal focus. Afterwards I moved into Product as Product Operations Director, where I focused on transforming Billie more towards Customer Centricity. After a nice detour, I am now the VP People & Organization.

What is your role/responsibility at Billie?

VP People & Organization: I lead the People team, meaning recruiting, people OPS, business partnering, organizational design and people strategy.

Our team is growing and is always looking for new talents.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

I am more present in the office again. I like to start my day early, get coffee before the rest of the company really gets going. I love that it is possible again to have lunch with my colleagues or even just stop by their desks to see what's up and how everything is going.

What was the most exciting project for you at Billie so far?

I really enjoyed being part of the OKR revamp, especially because the new process works great and it kept the company focused. Also, the work with our developers and designers is amazing. I love that at Billie, it is possible to create a dynamic career and I am very thankful for that.

What challenges are you solving right now and how are you dealing with it as a team?

Like most tech-companies in Berlin, we have to resolve our talent acquisition challenge, because the organization deals with many open job positions and the market is very competitive. Our approach as a team is quite typical: Look where we are, define where we want to go and then scout options that will lead us there.

Our team should definitely grow further. We need more people who share our vision!

What tips do you have for applicants to be successful in the interview process?

Three points:

My first tip is quite boring: I believe in good preparation. Research as much as possible about Billie and what could be possible challenges for the team you are applying for. As a side note it is not forbidden to ask the recruiter what the focus of the interview will be.

My second tip would be to stay authentic. Be open and transparent with your own expectations, ask all the questions that are on your mind. After all, it's a conversation about getting to know each other.

My last tip is to keep the energy level high. Don't let the interviewer carry you through the interview alone, but use the talk just as much and be part of the conversation.

If not Billie, what would you be doing?

Due to my Phd in latin and literature, I can imagine devoting myself to scholarly work for half a year. Sometimes on vacation, when I visit Renaissance churches, libraries or museums, I think of crazy research projects I would like to do. Like how was a library curated in the 18th century or which prints from the 16th century are the most read on Google Books and why.

Have we awakened your interest? Could Billie be the right working environment for you? Check out our current job openings on our career page. We are looking forward to hearing from you.