We are very pleased to welcome Ms. Petra Nabinger in today’s FemalExperts Role Model Interview. Ms. Nabinger is a compliance officer and an expert in the financial sector. She is a mother of four children, a networker, a source of inspiration – and a committed voice for more diversity in German boardrooms. In her new book “Frauen in Spitzenpositionen – Role Models der Finanzbranche”, she presents impressive career paths and personalities that encourage and inspire a rethink.
1 Dear Ms. Nabinger, I am delighted that you would like to introduce yourself to our community – and I will start with the first question: What was the most formative moment in your career for you – a real “game changer” experience?
First of all, I would like to mention that I am proud of both my family and my professional career. As the mother of a daughter and three sons, I am happy and grateful that all four children have mastered the path to an independent life. Accompanying them on this path has been challenging, but also very fulfilling.
In a professional context, this commitment to the family meant a significant career setback, although I kept dedicating myself to new positions in the world of finance. In principle, the experience that starting a family is a career booster for men and a career obstacle for women was the game changer for me. So I took an unusual fast lane and decided to pursue a career as a successful author alongside my job.
2 Looking back, are there any situations that make you laugh heartily today – even if you perceived them very differently at the time?
The rejection for a higher management position, which would have been the next step in my career, really disappointed me at the time. In fact, I experienced it twice in different companies. Looking back, I can grin inwardly because I know for sure that both rejections were not due to me as a person, but to the “Thomas cycle” that continued to function. This cycle, as it is called by the AllBright Foundation, means that people choose candidates who are very similar to themselves to fill management positions. As a result, men often fill such positions with men again.
Basically, this gave me the energy I needed to invest in my work as an author. It also encouraged me and has motivated me to write books on the subject of equal opportunities ever since. Because in conversations with other women, I keep finding out that many of them have experienced similar situations.
3. which characteristic has helped you the most to progress professionally and as an author in this context?
Here I would like to quote the women’s rights activist Helene Lange, who as a mentor gave one of her mentees the following guiding principle more than 100 years ago:
The secret of success lies in consistency.
This means that we should not allow ourselves to be thrown off course by defeats or obstacles on the way to our goal. Course corrections are of course possible. A companion said to me some time ago that she found it amazing how persistently I have kept my goal in mind for many years.
The wonderful feedback on my books is also a strong motivator. It feels great for me when a young woman asks me to write a dedication for her in one of my books.
4. how do you experience the exchange with the younger generation of women in the financial sector – what inspires you about their attitudes or perspectives?
I am always happy to talk to young women, as is easily possible at a reading, for example. I notice that they are becoming increasingly networked – both within their own company and outside it. This is because they know very early on what the invisible barriers are, such as biases, family obstacles or the glass ceiling. And that’s why they use networks at an early stage to discuss all these issues in confidence and spur each other on.
In any case, networking is an important step towards professional development. It also allows you to think outside the box. I think it’s really good that many young women have recognized this and are taking it to heart.
5. in your book “Frauen in Spitzenpositionen – Role Models der Finanzbranche” (Women in Top Positions – Role Models in the Financial Sector), you portrayed some impressive role models – which story moved you most emotionally?
I cannot and do not want to select a single story here. Every single one of the women I interviewed touched me emotionally at some point in their lives. On the one hand, it becomes clear how multifaceted and individual the women’s career paths were. On the other hand, there were very impressive situations in each personal story that were overcome – and the protagonists found suitable, individual solutions for themselves.
6 How did you select the women for your book – what was particularly important to you?
It was important to me to find women with different lifestyles. By that I mean women who have pursued their careers with or without children, with or without a partner. I also wanted to present women of different ages. And I think I succeeded quite well with these portraits.
7 What surprised you most during the interviews with the experts?
Here I take the team from the personnel recruiter Egon Zehnder International. I find their guest article particularly valuable because it clearly addresses the pitfalls for female applicants for board positions. I had not expected this to be so clear. In this respect, their article is an important statement that every female candidate for the top management level should take to heart.
8. you have spoken to many successful women in the world of finance – to what extent do you see a connection between financial independence and the courage to take on management responsibility?
Taking on responsibility at work is financially rewarded, as management and key positions are the better paid jobs. These are positions with decision-making power, which means there are also opportunities for active participation. As a manager, I can develop people and support them professionally – I am to some extent jointly responsible for them.
Such well-paid jobs ensure your own financial independence. Having the courage to take on management responsibility is therefore also the basis for a self-determined life. It is therefore also the courage to take control of your own life. So the first step is to be responsible for yourself – and the second step is to take responsibility for the employees entrusted to me.
9. how can financial education at a young age help to promote greater self-confidence in dealing with money – especially among girls and young women?
Topics such as having your own current account, accumulating assets through regular savings plans and retirement planning cannot be taught early enough. In addition to the parental home, such knowledge can or should also be taught in schools. After all, anyone who wants to stand on their own two feet as an adult should be financially literate. Girls and young women should always be concerned about being able to earn their own living in later life so that they do not become dependent on a partner. In this respect, financial education also promotes awareness of this – and is the guarantee for a self-determined life.
10. in the book, you talk about structural change rather than individual measures – what exactly do you mean by that, and what specific change would you most like to see in companies?
The topic is extremely complex. It depends crucially on my private situation – what kind of relationship I am in and how I plan my private life. However, the professional framework conditions are also very important, such as part-time management or family-friendly meeting times. Then there are the incentives provided by the legislator – such as spousal splitting.
But back to the company itself: I see opportunities for change there in the sense that the company management should commit to the goal of diversity in management or anchor this in the strategy. This goal not only has the effect of reducing entrepreneurial risk and increasing returns, but also of changing the corporate culture. Studies have shown that women are more likely to want to take the lead if the culture is characterized by appreciation, respect and mutual trust. A leadership culture based on such values should therefore also act as a parity booster.
11) When a young woman picks up your book today – what should she definitely take away from it, and what message is particularly close to your heart?
Here I quote Michelle Obama:
There are no limits to what we can achieve as women.
My motivation is to encourage young women to lead a self-determined life. I want to show them that they are good enough and should not hide their light under a bushel. They should know that the career path is more of an obstacle course for them, whereas men often still face fewer hurdles. This should not be understood as a reproach to men. They are often not even aware of their privileged situation in this context. But women can definitely take a leaf out of men’s book when it comes to self-confidence. With this book, I would like to remove obstacles from the path of women – to stay with the image.
It is particularly important to me to raise awareness of this and to encourage young women to confidently set out on their own path. The women portrayed spoke to me very openly and authentically about their career paths. I am delighted if these role models inspire as many readers as possible. And the book should also offer valuable insights for readers and potential supporters.
Dear Ms. Nabinger, thank you very much for the inspiring interview and your personal insights. Your commitment to making women visible in the world of finance not only provides orientation, but also opens up new perspectives for a sustainable management culture. Your book is much more than a collection of success stories – it is a source of inspiration for structural change, a plea for more courage and an invitation to rethink existing power structures. We are convinced that “Women in top positions” will provide food for thought, initiate discussions – and hopefully set many changes in motion.
About the author
Kinga Bartczak advises, coaches and writes on female empowerment, new work culture, organizational development, systemic coaching and personal branding. She is also the managing director of UnternehmerRebellen GmbH and publisher of the FemalExperts magazine .
