And the winner is … MüWü is CIO of the year

Facing the choice: sports or technology?

Originally, he wanted to become a sports and exercise physician, MüWü tells us. After all, sports were and still are an important part of his life: from soccer at the national level and tennis in the competitive squad to golf as a balance to everyday professional life. But about 40 years ago, the healthcare industry was on the upswing and the prospects of finding a permanent position in the sports medicine field were rather poor. "Back then, when I sat in the career counseling office and was asked what else I liked to do besides sports, the answer was clear: IT." And so it happened that MüWü, as a young man, followed his second passion and started studying computer sciences in Berlin in 1980 - just when the very first PC hit the market. "I was never a gamer, though. Programming at night was not very appealing to me either," MüWü smiles. So while his fellow students spent their nights on gaming consoles, MüWü pursued his passion for sports even while studying IT. "I don't regret my decision, even though I find the field of digitalized sports medicine particularly exciting." And he is also interested in other areas: the Berlin-born IT specialist studied law for a semester, until he was drawn back to core IT. "I was hooked. And that shaped the rest of my life."

Making the jump to research

"The state of the IT job market in the 1980s was quite similar to today: Techies were desperately sought after. It was not uncommon for fellow students to drop out of their studies because of job offers," MüWü recalls. He himself worked in the IT sector from time to time during his studies. However, what appealed to him much more at the time were innovative and research-oriented topics. In particular: artificial intelligence. And so MüWü started his research in the field of AI in 1982, studying business administration on the side. He then combined business administration and artificial intelligence as part of his doctoral thesis: For eleven years, he researched the question of how business strategies can be developed with the help of artificial intelligence. And successfully so, because the models developed together with teams of experts and researchers were later transferred into practice. "And then I almost became a professor," MüWü adds in conclusion, revealing that he ultimately turned to business after receiving a job offer.

No regrets about the roads not taken

The path to business took the now father of three from Herlitz to myToys and TNT - with IT remaining his throughline. But MüWü couldn't quite put aside his passion for research. On the side, he taught as a university lecturer and even became a professor at one point. "The idea of 'being a professor' had stuck with me for many years, so I took a chance in 2010 - only to realize it's not for me," MüWü laughs. So after two years, he was drawn back to industry. "The good thing about this story is: I don't look back on any missed opportunities today." And that is also his appeal to others: "Try things that interest you. It's better to try something out, gain experience and then realize it's not for you, than to regret a missed opportunity later."

From Cologne to Hamburg

After a stop in Cologne as IT director at Lekkerland, MüWü joined OTTO in 2015, where the position of CIO on the executive board had been newly created for him. "The prospect of transforming a traditional company appealed to me. I saw the potential and believed that I could make a difference here," MüWü says. That started right away with a change process in IT: While the tech sector used to be seen more as a service provider or supplier, MüWü has made sure that business and IT are thought of and experienced in tandem. "You can feel the spirit of OTTO tech today. How we as a company approach things in a new and different way." This spirit also plays a major role in the competition for IT professionals: "It has to be interesting for people to work for OTTO's IT, the whole package has to be right. And that is much more of a given today than it was seven years ago," MüWü explains.

The mission: Digital education for everyone - from an early age.

Anyone who scrolls through MüWü's LinkedIn profile quickly discovers two topics close to his heart: Digital education from an early age and women in tech. As part of his volunteer work, he is campaigning for computer science to become a school subject. Why? "I'm stunned that after around 40 years of IT, there is still a state of utter ignorance in Germany when it comes to digitalization and IT. Digital literacy is backward in our country, but if we want to master societal challenges, technological support is needed - and many are still afraid of that." MüWü wants to offer people a different approach to technology, to ensure understanding and comprehension. For the 61-year-old, however, that means more than just operating a smartphone: "It's about knowing and organizing your own data and its value. Knowing what cyber security means." He sees a similar backlog when it comes to women in IT: "Here, we have to start much earlier to make IT and tech cool and interesting. We need to desperately do away with false role models and stereotypes such as 'math is not for girls'. Other countries have long since understood this. Only we in Germany are not tapping into the huge potential in many places." He is trying to change that in his role at OTTO and through his honorary posts to the outside world: "My honorary posts are important to me because they offer a contribution to improving digital literacy in society."

And his commitment is being rewarded: today, for example, OTTO's Chief IT Officer was awarded what is probably the most prestigious prize in the IT industry and can call himself CIO of the Year. "I see this prize more as a team award, because it represents the outstanding work that has been done across our various departments over the last few years. When you think about how many thousands of IT organizations there are out there, this award is pretty special - I'm crazy proud of everyone involved."