Q&A with Julia and Bernhard
Q&A with Julia and Bernhard
As 2025 came to a close, a-connect marked another significant milestone: five years since Julia Neubauer and Bernhard Stadler became co-owners and co-managing directors, taking the helm from our visionary founders, Hanne de Mora and Nils Hagander. This transition was more than a change in leadership, it was the continuation of a legacy built on trust, entrepreneurial spirit, and a relentless commitment to our values
To celebrate this journey, we are launching a special series of Q&A videos featuring Julia and Bernhard. Whether you are a client, consultant, or simply interested in our story, we hope these videos offer inspiration and insight into what makes a-connect unique.
We invite you to watch, reflect, and connect with us as we continue to shape the future together.
In this edition, Julia Neubauer and Bernhard Stadler share an open conversation about their experiences after five years as co-owners and co-managing directors of a-connect. They discuss the values that guide their leadership, the challenges and rewards of taking over from founders Hanne de Mora and Nils Hagander, and the lessons they have learned along the way. You will gain personal insights into how they approach people leadership, navigate change, and shape the company’s future, plus practical tips for anyone interested in leadership and the evolving world of consulting.
Bernhard: “Julia, what is one lesson from Hanne or Nils that shaped how you lead today?”
Julia: I’d say it’s always putting people first. And that actually applies to us internally as we continue to build our team and organization, but also to any single client project. Without really the people element, this notion of creating buy-in, accountability, enthusiasm for what you’re doing, but also making it relevant to the team and its individuals, you just cannot make progress.”
Bernhard: ”I like yours. Mine is to create opportunities for others. It’s a principle that has been close to the founder’s heart. I know is close to your and my heart. And it’s important because as you say, it’s the success basis for growth as a team.”
Bernhard: “Can you share a moment when their advice helped you navigate the challenge?”
Julia: “It also comes with a funny anecdote. Early days, Hanne used to tell me ‘Julia, you need to get out of the weeds’. And it essentially was her way of telling me to take a step back, take a fresh perspective, and think about the strategic challenge that we’re trying to solve. And I still use that mentality oftentimes today, asking myself, am I in the weeds? Do I really know what problem we’re solving for? And taking a fresh perspective.”
Bernhard: “The moment that comes to my mind is about five years back at the start of COVID. I remember when we had a number of emergency meetings in the leadership team with our board, probably like every other company, trying to figure out how to deal with this chaos that was unfolding. And the advice they gave at the time was to move decisively and swiftly, in particular in moments of crisis, to stay in control. And that’s what we did back then. And it helped us tremendously and is definitely a piece of advice that stays with us for future moments where we feel to move swiftly and decisively is what is required.”
Julia: “And there was also the moment when we had just taken over as co-managing director. Absolutely. So that was an exciting and at the same time terrifying time.”
Bernhard: “It was.”
Julia: “Let me look at the next one.”
Julia: “If you could thank Hanne and Nils for one thing today, what would it be?”
Bernhard: “The thought that comes to my mind, Julia, is something that we have told them many times. That they have allowed us to lead a-connect into the future that we wanted to give it. And the ability to hand over and let go and let others take the company into a new future that they are fully behind, I think it is the one thing I’m most grateful for, while knowing that they’ve always been on our side and available when we wanted and were seeking their advice.”
Julia: “I very much agree. And I would add to that their support in how far we have come, both you and I, in terms of our professional, but also our personal growth over the last 15 – 20 years developing us along the way. And to my point before, the love and care they extended to us along the way.”
Bernhard: “What’s one thing you’ve added or evolved that Hanne and Nils would be proud of?”
Julia: “I think it’s hard to pinpoint one because I know they’re sort of proud how we have evolved as entrepreneurs. But going back to your point before Bernie, I think they’re proud of the fact that we have made this our own entrepreneurial journey. That we have evolved beyond the people that they sort of grew and cultivated. That we have created our own followership behind our own, a-connect dream and vision. And that we have been able to do so over the last few years, really building on the original vision they had without letting go of that first initial vision, while also making it our own.”
Bernhard: I don’t know if there is one particular thing that they would be proud of but the notion of having had the courage to go all in. And become entrepreneurs and work relentlessly on creating a future that we are excited about for this firm is probably the one thing that I believe they would be most proud of. And I suggest next time we see Nils for a beer, we will just ask him.
Julia: “Exactly. Exactly.”
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