“We are shaping the future of retail with innovative data and analytics solutions”
As a manager in our Data & Analytics business unit, Kathrin leads two teams with a total of thirteen colleagues. In this interview, she explains why, in addition to her leadership role, she is particularly fascinated by the topic of generative AI.
Before you take us through a day in your job, could you introduce yourself briefly and tell us how long you’ve been at ALDI DX?
Kathrin: My name is Kathrin Möller. I’m originally from Duisburg, but now live in Essen. I’ve been with ALDI DX for almost thirteen years now. I studied business informatics in Essen and then worked in science for a few years. I also enjoyed it a lot. However, after a while it was too theoretical for me and I wanted to switch to the private sector. Since then, I have been part of many different teams at ALDI DX, which has made the work extremely exciting. I am currently the manager of two teams consisting of several project managers. Together, we manage and support the various programmes and projects in our Data & Analytics area, in my case specifically for projects in the GenAI area, among others.
Then tell us: what does a typical workday look like for you as a Manager Projects GenAI – assuming there is such a thing?
Kathrin: I usually start the day by getting an overview of what I have to do. As I currently lead two teams or thirteen employees in total, I deal with many different topics because everyone in the team has their own projects. I speak to my team members very regularly and find out what is happening in their projects and whether they need support from me. In addition, I am responsible for coordinating things with various stakeholders from different projects as well as preparing and organising steering committee meetings and other project meetings, for example. Of course, I also liaise a lot with my other manager colleagues to see if there are any innovations in their areas for future projects that should be included in our portfolio and where my team and I as a project manager can provide support.
What would you say defines your role as Manager Projects GenAI?
Kathrin: I find the wide range of different topics and responsibilities particularly exciting. My team and I support so many projects in the areas of data and analytics and classical and generative AI. This gives us insights into highly diverse areas. Our contribution also helps to advance many important topics and support the entire organisation through data and analytics and artificial intelligence.
What impact do you want to have at ALDI DX? What drives you – what gets you out of bed in the morning?
Kathrin: What drives me above all is that I can really make a valuable contribution to the relatively new data and analytics topic with my work and that I am part of a highly committed team. Thanks to my expertise in project management, I am able to support the technical teams in our other areas very well in order to successfully implement and complete the projects together. Our collaboration enables the business teams to base their processes and decisions on data and thus improve their results. In the future, there will also be a lot more to come in terms of artificial intelligence – so we are keeping pace with the latest technologies. With our work in the various projects, we are helping to create the all-important technical and organisational foundation and thus make a valuable contribution. Ultimately, the aim is to provide the best possible support to colleagues from the business.
What has been your most exciting project so far?
Kathrin: The topic of generative AI is very exciting. We are currently analysing how we can use it to generate business benefits. There are many use cases that we are reviewing and examining to determine when and where we want to invest. Another interesting and important project is the connection of new data sources via a data broker. This will enable us to provide our squads that develop the data products with the required data more quickly in future.
The world of technology is constantly evolving and changing. How do you keep up to date, and what tools does ALDI DX offer to help you with this?
Kathrin: Of course, a lot is done within the scope of on-the-job training, where you learn a lot about the required technology. In addition to training courses, I also sometimes travel to conferences.
What would you say makes ALDI DX unique as an employer?
Kathrin: At ALDI DX, every day brings a new challenge, so it never gets boring, which I personally really appreciate. I am also very happy about our fantastic working relationship, which is characterised by respect, appreciation and also fun.
What challenges do you face as part of your everyday work, and what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned so far?
Kathrin: Of course, we always encounter challenges in our day-to-day project work – these can be technical challenges, but also challenges in organisational change management. Communication at all levels is extremely important here in order to get all stakeholders on board, depending on their role and previous experience. That is also my main lesson learned: how important communication is in everyday (project) life and that it should not be neglected.
What should anyone looking to start a career as a Manager Projects GenAI at ALDI DX bring to the table? Are there any candidates for whom ALDI DX might not be the best fit?
Kathrin: As a project manager, it is very important to think and work in a structured way and be able to coordinate things well. Solution-orientated thinking is also very important, because the various challenges and issues in day-to-day project work require a wide variety of solutions. As communication is one of the most important aspects of project work, applicants should also have strong communication skills at all levels. The position is therefore not the right one for mainly technically focussed people who do not like to be the centre of attention. As a project manager, you are automatically the point of contact for all possible stakeholders.
What do you associate with “Reprogram retail”?
Kathrin: For me, “Reprogram retail” means supporting and advancing our future in retail based on data and analytics. We have the opportunity to shape the future of retail together through innovative data and analytics solutions. Each and every one of us contributes to achieving our company goals and thus becoming even more successful.
Thanks for talking to us, Kathrin!
Help us shape the future of retail together: take a look at our job openings and apply now!