Be bold and say yes
Breaking the Routine: As the Head of Marketing and Business Development at grow platform, Julia Endroes faces new challenges daily – and that’s exactly her thing! Thanks to the trusting culture, she can balance demanding responsibilities at her job and private goals such as family planning. Yet it's not just the culture on the company side that matters.
When Julia was asked in April 2024 if she would take on Business Development in addition to Marketing at grow platform, she didn't have to think long and quickly agreed. The fact that she was already pregnant at the time was not an concern – although it was clear to everyone that she would soon be away for a few months. "Everyone reacted very positively and said: ‘We will handle it,’" Julia reports. "And it is indeed a privilege to have such opportunities in a large company like Bosch." Even though she couldn’t foresee what was coming, she took the leap into the unknown. The culture at grow platform always gave her the secure feeling: We trust in you and your abilities – and we’ll find a solution together.
Sometimes it takes a bit of courage
This mindset, where business and people are equally in focus, fascinated Julia from the start. That’s why she didn’t hesitate when a parental leave replacement was offered in Bosch corporate communications at the end of 2016. "I already had many friends working at Bosch who described incredibly positive things," Julia recalls. She didn’t want to miss the chance to be part of this team: She quit her permanent job at a renowned company for a initially temporary position at Bosch. "It was the best step I could have taken," Julia says. For two years, she was responsible for topics like Paid Media, Campaign Management, and Digital Analytics in Bosch’s digital communications and successfully advanced these areas.
Between start-up and corporation
Before joining Bosch in 2016, the trained communications manager had already worked in marketing and communications for two start-ups (including MyMuesli) and two large traditional companies (Daimler and DEKRA). After two years as a Digital Communications Manager in Bosch corporate communications, she joined the grow platform team at the end of 2018 and has been Head of Marketing there since June 2020. In April 2024, she also took on Business Development at grow platform.
The freedom to shape things yourself
The move to grow platform in 2018 wasn’t surprising. Even before her time at Bosch, Julia had experienced the work environment in both start-ups and large corporates. The challenge of combining these two worlds greatly appealed to her. "It wasn’t even the job profile that I found so incredibly exciting, but the whole concept: Here’s the big, established company and there’s the early-stage start-up – how can this be lived in one entity?" So she started in marketing at grow platform and took over the department in mid-2020. Since then, she has achieved a lot, including building an international team that now supports Bosch intrapreneurs almost everywhere in the world.
Empowering women to pursue senior roles
Despite some hard-fought gains, women’s representation in senior and leadership roles is not keeping pace as identified by Harvard Business School, McKinsey, in partnership with LeanIn.Org, or the World Economic Forum. Talented women tend to avoid applying for advanced positions unless they meet every single qualification. Overcoming self-doubt requires a shift in mindset and the development of self-confidence. Addressing self-doubt is essential for achieving gender diversity in leadership positions. At grow platform, we are aware that gender diversity in the workplace is important for business success and innovation which is why we constantly work towards taking proactive measures to address gender inequality and create a more inclusive work environment. Supporting women's career development, providing mentorship, and implementing flexible work policies are key strategies for promoting gender diversity.
Be bold and say yes
With Julia’s additional role in Business Development, new challenges arise daily – requiring strategic thinking: Where do we want to go? Where do we want to support? What skills do we need? For Julia, this is exactly right: "I am driven by the new, the innovative. Building things and processes anew, especially in uncertain settings: Others might find that daunting – I find it incredibly exciting." With this attitude, she is also looking forward to the coming months when she goes on parental leave. "I have a lot of trust in my deputies, who will do a great job. When I come back, there will be new challenges that we will tackle together."
"In a working environment like ours, where people believe in you, it's important to recognize your own strengths and trust yourself: Be bold and say yes more often. The opportunity to try things out for yourself is one of the great opportunities at grow platform".
A solution for every situation
That Julia could continue to pursue her professional goals even as an expectant mother was a very positive experience for her. The culture makes it possible: Whether maternity leave, parental leave, or flexible working models for caring family members: A suitable solution is found for every life situation of the employees. "Business and people really go hand in hand here," Julia can confirm.
