Victoria Klug
Executive Leadership Program - Amsterdam Class 15
I was born and raised in Germany and grew up in a family of psychologists. My parents were strong believers in anti-authoritarian education, so my two brothers and I were raised with the core belief that logic and reason should always be more important than rules or systems. I had a very happy childhood, was always encouraged to explore the world and challenge the status quo –and was shocked when I first entered our German school system.
Following rules, accepting “orders” from above and fitting into a system was a very strange experience for me and to this day I find the differences between the philosophy of “free-thought” and hierarchical organizations fascinating. Of course I wanted to understand more about how people think, feel and behave, so I studied psychology in Germany, China and France. After I finished my M.Sc., I joined Siemens –another shocking yet fascinating experience as I entered the corporate world.
Over the last 7 years, I was lucky enough to work in various HR and Leadership Development roles in Germany, the UAE, South Africa and most recently the US. I love to see how instilling a sense of purpose and authentic leadership practices drive organizational and individual change. I’m about to start a new role as Chief Culture Officer for our newly founded IoT business and I’m excited to see how I can shape this organization.
I’m a strong believer in democracy, equal opportunities (especially when it comes to education and gender equality) and human connections.In my spare time I like to ground myself on my yoga mat or forget the world around me when I fly high in a Cessna 172. Couldn’t be more excited to be part of Class 15!