As Head of Controlling & Agile Consulting, Melanie’s responsibilities extend far beyond traditional controlling. In addition to financial management, she oversees strategic initiatives and leads the Agile Coaches at empiriecom. At the heart of her work is one central question: How can an organization successfully collaborate and continuously evolve? It is precisely this combination of financial management and organizational development that defines her work. At the same time, it underscores the company’s commitment to combining financial success with respectful collaboration.

Melanie has been with empiriecom since the beginning and now works part-time, four days a week. Flexible hours and the option to work from home allow her to balance her career and family life effectively.

In her experience, holding a leadership position on a part-time basis is primarily a matter of good organization. Information must be actively sought out, priorities consciously set, and decisions carefully prepared. Open communication and reliable coordination within the team are just as important. This model can only succeed in the long term if both sides do their part.

However, it is the corporate culture that makes the decisive difference. The focus is not on the number of hours worked, but on the trust to act independently and achieve good results together. This culture is evident in day-to-day work: open communication, honest feedback, and quick decision-making processes characterize collaboration at empiriecom.

Employees and management develop solutions together and interact as equals. Regular coaching sessions, joint events, and ongoing dialogue strengthen team cohesion and create space to accommodate individual life circumstances.

As a working mother, Melanie experiences firsthand every day that balancing family and career doesn’t depend solely on her employer. A reliable personal network helps her overcome even last-minute challenges in her daily life.

Realistic expectations are just as important. Work and family don’t have to be perfectly balanced every day. What’s important is finding a way that works for your own life in the long run. This experience also shapes her leadership style and her perspective on the different life situations within her team.

Flexible work models open up new opportunities today. Melanie’s experience shows that leadership roles are possible even on a part-time basis, provided companies create the necessary flexibility and employees use it responsibly.

However, she emphasizes that this model is not equally suitable for every role. It requires the right framework conditions, and both companies and employees must find suitable solutions.

Her advice to anyone considering a part-time leadership position: There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for success. Openness, mutual understanding, and a willingness to develop solutions together form the basis for a model that works in the long term.

Melanie’s story shows that leadership can succeed even on a part-time basis when trust, flexibility, and personal responsibility come together. It is precisely these values that shape collaboration and create the freedom to balance work and personal life.