Interviews from the individual OTTO networks

Fathers@OTTO

Who are you and how did you come to Väter@OTTO?

NICO LUETHJE: Hello, my name is Nico and I work in Group IT. Back before the birth of our second child, we talked a lot about roles. That was a process. In the end, I went on parental leave for a year and my girlfriend pursued her career. I associate Väter@OTTO with being able to exchange ideas on these topics of compatibility, parenting, partnership, and getting impulses.

What do you want to achieve with Väter@OTTO?

We want to offer a platform for (expectant) fathers to be able to take on the role of a present and engaged father. But we also believe that it can only be done together. We want child and career. We need more understanding that top performance does not just mean full-time and that parental leave is not a vacation. We want to make alternative family models, but also challenges, visible and thereby contribute to change and be effective in shaping it. We want more part-time work for management positions and men, and we want to anchor the positive effects of the crisis, such as greater compatibility through mobile working, in the organization.What have you already achieved?Together with the FeMale network Plan F and OTTO Kommunikation, we have offered several mySessions on the topic of "Parents & working from home" in the Lockdown and have been able to achieve visibility for the challenges of parents in the Lockdown, but also offer impulses and suggestions.

What values do you stand for and how do you advocate for them?

We believe it only works #together: fathers@OTTO is a platform open to all and stand for active fatherhood and partnership-based career development. We want to highlight the benefits for all genders. We also stand for a better work-life balance and want to make alternative family models, but also challenges, visible and thus contribute to change and be effective in shaping it.

#experienced

Who are you and how did you come to #experienced?

LEONIE KOCH: My name is Leonie. I'm a content manager and I'm responsible for inspiring product presentations in pictures, text and video in the home & living sector on otto.de. I am a co-founder of the #experienced network and have been part of the core team since 2017 - together with other colleagues who actively work on our topics and programs. As a network founder "in series", I am currently driving the meta-network Generationen50PLUS in Hamburg - together with other companies and organizations.

What do you want to achieve with the #experienced network?

We want to focus on the personal potential and professional development of employees over 50 - many want to step on the gas again in this phase of their lives, do meaningful work together with younger colleagues, develop professionally or achieve something personally. That's why we want to use our work to break down prejudices and outdated images of age and positively change attitudes toward the 50+ generation.

What have you already achieved?

We have initiated a dynamic change and are highlighting the opportunities OTTO can gain with these 50+ people on many levels and through many channels. The demographically currently growing group of generations 50+ are now integrated into diversity management with the Board of Diversity Networks under the umbrella of Katy Roewer. And as a pioneer throughout the Group, we are hopefully increasingly setting impulses for other Group companies with our network.

PLAN F

Who are you and how did you come to PLAN F?

EVA-MARIA SCHMEIL: I'm Eva-Maria, 32 years old, and I've been working at OTTO as an e-commerce analyst for over 4 years. I have always been interested in the topic of equality and became aware of PLAN F through an anniversary event in 2018. Then things happened quite quickly: in January 2019 I started as a network member and in July I took over the lead.

What do you want to achieve with PLAN F?

I want to draw attention to the issue of gender equality and bring to the table the areas where there are still deficits. I want to get feminism out of its 'knitting whining corner' because that's definitely not where it belongs. We should not play against each other, but with each other, both among us women and between the sexes. Because only together can we move away from patriarchy towards a society with more equal opportunities and diversity. We have to get the unconscious bias out of our heads, because it's in everyone.

What have you already achieved?

We have a great conference for more women in IT with developHER. We play very strongly on the topic of work-life balance. We've built up a great network with over 30 members who work every day for more diversity, both at OTTO and beyond the company.

How did PLAN F come into being?

PLAN F was founded in 2016 by 6 to 7 women as a network dedicated to women in business. At that time, there was already a cultural change at OTTO, but no active grouping for the topic of equal rights for women. What values do you stand for and how do you advocate for them? With our work, we want to achieve that structural hurdles and systemic obstacles are overcome. In practical terms, this means that we want to get it into people's heads that differences are no longer made on the basis of gender. That a woman can combine career and family just as well as a man. That our management levels become more female. That women and men earn the same. To name just a few examples.

MORE*

Who are you and how did you come to MORE*?

INGO BERTRAM: I'm Ingo, working as a press spokesperson for OTTO in my "day job" and founded MORE* in 2019 with a good dozen other colleagues. It was actually more of a coincidence that a simple appointment could someday become a company-wide network, I didn't really think that at first. So I'm all the more pleased that MORE* is exactly that today - a queer network that stands up for diversity and against discrimination and is open to all employees. No matter if gay, lesbian or straight, woman or man or non-binary.

What have you already moved?

We have already managed to increase the visibility of queer people and issues in the Group. We can never achieve this as a network alone. We rely on partners and allies, people who share our visions and ideas here at OTTO - even if they are straight themselves. A great example of this is a TV commercial that OTTO released in the summer of 2020. It featured a gay couple, completely normal, without clichés and stereotypes. The spot was realized by our marketing department, with MORE* providing the impetus. Our initiative to install additional gender-neutral unisex toilets would also not have been possible without the support of the departments.

What were your motivations?

It was originally rather coincidental, to be honest. At the time, a good dozen queer people from OTTO and the Otto Group Holding got together through the mediation of our Diversity Management. It quickly became clear that we could and wanted to make a difference together. And that we didn't want to leave it at this one meeting. Shortly thereafter MORE* came into being, deliberately as a network for employees of all Group companies.

What values do you stand for and how do you promote them?

MORE* is committed to a non-judgmental approach to sexual identity. Our goal at OTTO and throughout the Otto Group is to create a discrimination-free space for all people - no matter where they come from, who they love, who they believe in or who they are. Communication and awareness, internally and externally, are important keys to this.

AntiRacism

Who are you and how did you get involved with antiRacism?

JAMILA JOHN: I am Jamila John and I work as a project manager at OTTO in logistics management. In 2020, I founded antiRacism with my colleagues. About a year later, antiRacism became an official diversity network at OTTO and part of BODN. Because it was clear to me that there had to be a network at OTTO dedicated to the issue of racism. In my opinion, respectful and effective cooperation is only possible if a working climate critical of racism is created through mindfulness, empowerment and consultation.

What do you want to achieve with antiRacism?

We are a network that makes a relevant contribution against racist discrimination. To dismantle racism in the long term and to help people. The focus of our work is therefore on education, we want to drive a learning process and talk openly with colleagues about the issue of racism. The basic premise of our work is to think about diversity intersectionally. In this way, we ensure that we do not just talk about racism, but about people. Because we have many facets and should not be discriminated against in any of them.

What have you already moved?

We initiate discussions and make clear on various levels what positive effects it has when we deal with racism. antiRacism is increasingly becoming a contact point for topics around intersectionality and racism internally - but also beyond the company boundaries. Through collaborations with Dr. Natasha A. Kelly, Dr. Amani Abuzahra or Dr. Kimiko Suda, we provide our colleagues with scientifically sound insights from racism research.

What values do you stand for and how do you advocate for them?

We want to encourage colleagues to speak openly about racism. This is the only way to overcome structural barriers and systematic obstacles. This includes making racism visible as well as offering support and creating an empowering environment. Change can only happen if we take a closer look at ourselves. And that only works if we remain open-minded, persistent and responsible.