What challenges and trends do you currently see in the area of digitalization? And how do you react to them?Ī major challenge for companies is to grow and remain flexible at the same time. Ratepay has been interacting with the digital industry since 2009. Only if we learn to deal with mistakes properly and see them as an opportunity instead of a setback, will we make progress. Mistakes are essential for learning and progress. And without most of them I would not be where I am today. Let us ask you openly: Have you ever made mistakes that, in retrospect, opened up new perspectives?
I don't want to impose anything on my employees, but rather motivate them to follow me, to carry them along and inspire them. And only those who are credible can be a role model. But I believe that only those who are authentic appear credible. Indeed, it is often suggested that you have to be perfect and unemotional as a founder. How important is humanity and emotionality to build a successful business? When we take a look at your social media presence or at contributions in panels and talks, you are anything but that: you laugh, give private insights, are close and positive. Stiff, distant, conservative - the »classic« attributes for leaders are still rooted in many people' s minds. In the corporate context, it means judging employees purely on their skills and motivation. For me, diversity means absolute equality of opportunity, regardless of age, gender, personal background or sexual orientation. The women's quota is an instrument, diversity is an attitude. What does diversity mean to you? And how do you encourage diversity in your company? You publicly advocate diversity and not a women's quota in the classic sense. Today I am a real »payment nerd« and love to meet and exchange ideas with the people from my tech network. In this job I was an absolute career changer, but I was directly inspired by the industry. After I broke off from economics and began my vocational training as a travel agent, I came into contact with the payment world by coincidence. I actually got into the tech sector by chance. How did you find your way into this industry? And what was your motivation for founding Ratepay? Wohlfarth, you are one of the founders of the first hour in the FinTech sector. »Motivating and inspiring employees - that's only possible if you are sincere.«ĭear Mrs.