Growing up in Belgium as part of a large family, Mariel was used to sharing the spotlight. “I’m the youngest of three, but my mother had seven brothers and sisters, and they had large families, too. I was one of the youngest, so I would tend to say nobody paid too much attention to me,” she says.
In a situation like that, many people would have faded into the background — but not Mariel. Instead, she found her ways to stand out.
Cosmopolitan childhood
She wasn’t just used to sharing the attention with children — far from it. With her father working for the European Commission, she was used to regularly having diplomats, politicians, and other important decision-makers around the table.
Speaking up was something she quickly learned to do. “I wasn’t scared of it when I was very young,” she says. “I’m respectful of everyone and if people have earned a high position it’s all good, but I also believe we’re all human beings.”
Realizing her multilingual parents would switch from speaking French and German to English when they discussed matters not suitable for her and her siblings’ ears, the children rapidly taught themselves the language. She smiles, remembering the surprise on her teacher’s face when she arrived late to her first English lesson, and explained the reasons for her tardiness.
It might have been years ago, but reflecting on these experiences, Mariel can see the roots of how she approaches challenges today. She was in a situation she didn’t fully understand, but rather than running from it, she did everything she could to understand and adapt to find a solution.
Drawn to special projects
From early in her career, she found she had a knack for going against the grain and not simply doing something because that’s the way it’s always been done. Instead, she would stand back and quickly gain the ability to pull together lots of different parts to form a solution.
“Somehow, I have always been drawn to special projects,” she says. “As an intern, I was asked to work on a special project for the board and was sent to Boston for a couple of months to do an assignment. It was fascinating for me.”
It would be her last internship, as the IT company — based in Geneva, Switzerland — would go on to offer her a full-time job. It was an industry she wasn’t entirely familiar with, but it didn’t stop her from finding ways to go beyond what was expected and stand out.
Gaining confidence early
She continued to grow professionally. Your colleagues can make or break your work environment, and Mariel was lucky that her first boss really developed her confidence. “He empowered me completely,” she says. “Obviously, he was making the decisions but he made me feel like it was me. He gave me the opportunity to have an impact, and completely trusted me.”
Clearly seeing her potential, he challenged Mariel to achieve the very best she could. “He pushed me beyond what I thought I would be able to do, and he stood behind me when things were getting a little bit shaky. I think this had a huge impact on me. It showed me that when you empower and trust people, the sky’s the limit,” she says.
This brand of mentor can be found at Siemens as well, and Mariel’s belief in this kind of leadership plays a major role in her commitment to the concept of ownership culture. In her experience, Siemens has all the ingredients and provides the freedom to foster this way of working.
Thinking outside the box
At Siemens, Mariel is one of 377,000 people — but she’s happy to forge her own way. “I’m quite independent in my thinking,” she says. “I have my views, and I’m happy to speak up and share my views with whoever I work with.” Just as when she was a child, she remains respectful of authority, but it does not stand in her way of challenging the status quo when necessary.
Mariel knows her colleagues and team are more than the title on their email signature — and the same rule applies with her own title. “I don’t define myself through my job or my function, or my role or my business card. I define it more than anything else by what’s being done, how it is being done and the results we achieve.”
Learning from others
Mariel believes in the powerful statement by educator Peter Drucker, who said: “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” In the same way, she wants to be a leader who is not afraid of taking a more difficult route if it leads to a more successful outcome.
And, unlike many leaders, she is not afraid to admit when she doesn’t have all the answers. “I know I’m not perfect. I say when I have no idea, when I don’t know how to do things. Hey, what do people expect? Do they expect that I know everything? I don’t, I simply don’t. And that’s why listening to and trusting your team is so crucial,” she says. Not knowing all the answers isn’t a weakness, it’s a chance to work with others and benefit from their talents and experiences.
Encouraging others
She knows the value of the company is in its people, and Mariel strives to foster an environment where employees are comfortable to make their voice heard. “I’ve found that the sole person who feels confident enough to speak up in a meeting could be the decisive factor in turning a stagnating project into a successful one,” she says.
And despite her willingness to challenge long-held ideas, she knows that it can’t be done alone and that teamwork is crucial. “I don’t think I’m a person that needs to be in the first row,” she says. Just like her first boss, she “gets more out of it when others shine”.
Connecting the dots
But what’s the one thing that Mariel really believes sets her apart from other leaders? “I want to connect the dots,” she says. “Bringing people with many areas of expertise together, so that we can create a bigger impact, really motivates me. I want to help people grow and help them to find their way, and I love seeing them excel — I want to give back what I got from the organization.”
A tactical mind, Mariel doesn’t get lost in details, but instead stands back and sees the bigger picture. For her, taking on challenges is like starting a puzzle. “You have all these pieces and don’t know how to put them together. But, over time, it grows into a nice picture.”
Mariel von Schumann joined Siemens in 1999 as International Product Manager in the mobile phones business. She then worked as Managing Director of Mergers & Acquisitions in Corporate Finance, before moving into the role of Head of Investor Relations followed by Head of Governance & Markets. Currently, she’s Chief of Staff of Siemens and Member of the Board of Directors of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), and has been nominated to be a Member of the Board of Directors of Siemens Alstom. Originally from Belgium, she now lives in Munich, Germany, and is a proud mom of her daughter. Find out more about working at Siemens.
Photography: Niko Schmid-Burgk
