Q&A with Julia and Bernhard
Q&A with Julia and Bernhard
How do you preserve a company’s culture as it grows and evolves?
a-connect was built on a foundation of passion, freedom, and performance. In this conversation, Julia Neubauer and Bernhard Stadler reflect on the values, traditions, and ways of working that continue to shape a-connect today. From the apprenticeship model and leadership by example to the role of performance, trust, and care in building strong teams, they share what they believe is essential to carrying the company’s culture forward.
This discussion offers an inside look at how a-connect seeks to combine high performance with personal growth, collaboration, and a deep commitment to helping people thrive.
Julia: “How do you keep our values of passion, performance, and freedom alive in today’s context?”
Bernhard: “First of all, I think you need to identify with the values, which is easy for you and me because we defined them five years ago when we took over from the founders.
Secondly, they are written on our wall in the office in big shiny letters, which helps everybody remind them every day.
And thirdly and most importantly, I think you have to role model them every day. When your colleagues, your clients, your consultants feel the values in what you say, your behaviors and your actions, they stay alive and they flourish. What do you think?”
Julia: “I couldn’t agree more, but I also think our values are so deeply ingrained, in our culture and we just live by them every day fiercely. So that’s obviously been the case over the last five years, but we also are building on a strong foundation from before.”
Bernhard: ”What’s one tradition or way of working that you never want to lose?”
Julia: “I would say the apprenticeship model, because it allows our associates, project managers, engagement leaders, but basically everyone in the firm to learn from one another and to learn from more experienced colleagues.
And I’ve obviously benefited from that myself greatly over the years, getting real responsibility early. And I think that trust and that mutual investment in growth builds really strong culture.”
Bernhard: “For me, it’s the annual retreat when everybody comes together from everywhere to spend a few days together to celebrate success, problem solve on the areas where we know we want to do better and just have fun along the way.”
Julia: “What cultural aspect of a-connect is non-negotiable and why?”
Bernhard: ”Good question. I think the answer is performance.
Performance is one of our three core values. And I think as a company, you can’t grow without having a high performance mindset. It’s deeply ingrained in our DNA. And I think it’s the basis for our individual and collective growth.
That’s why it’s a non-negotiable for me. How about you?”
Julia: “I would agree for sure with performance. The one value or sort of concept I would add is our care and compassion that we have for others.
I think without that we couldn’t actually, you know, perform very well and everybody loves coming to work given that you feel, valued, appreciated and that you know how you can deliver at your best.
So without that, I don’t think we would be performing as a team. And I feel that at a-connect we have this notion of we’re in it to win it, but together.”
Register for our newsletter to receive curated insights directly to your inbox.
