one: Alexandra, at the age of 51, you have made a career change internally and taken on a larger management role. What exactly motivated you to apply for the position? Were you dissatisfied?
Alexandra Welter: No, I wasn't dissatisfied. I really enjoyed working as an HR Partner for six years. Nevertheless, I'm an energetic and open person, I have a lot of energy and I still want to create something, my own responsibility, something that gives me purpose. Then I saw the internal job advertisement for the Head of Talent Attraction in Talent Acquisition and was immediately enamoured: a great role, systemically relevant and comparatively new. The task of managing and developing the Talent Attraction team immediately appealed to me. I also know the area well from working in it and could immediately visualise it.

one: What exactly appealed to you?
Alexandra Welter: The change from an advisory role to a role with a larger organisational framework that offers plenty of room for new ideas and, above all, the topic of leadership was important to me. I wanted to lead, to have my own area of responsibility, my own team. Developing people, shaping a team, providing strategic direction - that appealed to me. I was also excited to take on a relevant task for REWE Group. And to dare to do it.

one: Does "daring" in this context have anything to do with the age at which you aspired to this management position?
Alexandra Welter: It had nothing to do with age, it was more about the skills I needed. Because I wasn't directly a specialist. But I have built up a good network over the years at REWE Group. That helps me, along with my strengths and the wealth of experience I have acquired. So having the confidence to take on the job had less to do with fear and more with consideration: What can I contribute? Are the task and environment a good fit?

one: Did you make these considerations on your own or did you discuss them?
Alexandra Welter: A step like this needs to be well thought out and I was very aware of the responsibility that comes with the job. My participation in the Women's Drive programme was a boost. The participants and coaches really encouraged me to take on a bigger leadership role. I spoke to friends and colleagues and received a lot of encouragement here too.

one: What role did your age play when you applied?
Alexandra Welter: I had given some basic thought to my career path, but more in the sense of: Where can I make an impact and add value? Which tasks do I enjoy and give me purpose? What strengths do I have? Which roles suit me? In addition, the question also played a role: Where do I score points with my seniority, what positive aspects does my age have?

one: What are the positive sides?
Alexandra Welter: On the one hand, the current private situation is positive: I have two children, they are now 15 and 17 years old, so they don't require as much care. At the same time, I don't (yet) have any caring responsibilities, which can tie up my mental capacity in particular.

And then there is serenity. The word is perhaps a little worn out, but I find it very appropriate here. Resilience is another buzzword, but this one also fits the bill. Nothing throws me off track so quickly anymore. I have a wealth of experience and can therefore survive even in choppy waters.

In my view, a certain seniority is an advantage for leadership. Foresight, understanding, flexible, experience-based action and, of course, composure and resilience help you to take on a professional change, but above all an extended management role in my case. I think that people can benefit from my wealth of knowledge and experience. Conversely, I benefit from the approaches and techniques of younger colleagues.

one: So it's actually a really good age to start a career ...
Alexandra Welter: Yes!, although overall I struggle with the attribution young-old in the job context. In today's and tomorrow's working world, it is particularly relevant that you share the same values and can work well together in mixed teams across functions. I have had the best experiences with colourful mixed teams where everyone contributes their strengths and skills.

In my opinion, the willingness to change and the desire to achieve success together with others are much more important than the date of birth. A willingness to change is not a question of age. And I bring that with me. Just like curiosity, openness and humour.

one: Humour?
Alexandra Welter: In my opinion, humour is underestimated, but I think it's essential. Not only in my private life, but also at work. Humour and the ability to not always take yourself so seriously make things so much easier, it brings a certain lightness. Times are difficult enough.

one: How did you perceive yourself - compared to previous job changes - during the familiarisation phase?
Alexandra Welter: I have a dynamic and mixed-age team that works on a variety of topics and develops many ideas. During my induction, it helped me to systematise and catalogue a lot of information. This is not necessarily an age-related issue, but rather the further development of work techniques that are needed to maintain an overview in a complex environment.

Today's flood of information needs to be systematised so that you can easily find it again... And I have acquired this quite well in my professional life. Is it perfect? No. I'm always looking for something too, but with increasing experience I think I know more quickly what is relevant and what is not. This is where maturity, resilience and routines come into play.

I therefore believe that older employees can not only familiarise themselves just as quickly, but even more quickly. As far as I'm concerned, my ability to process and categorise information is better than it used to be.

one: And what does today's working world "demand" of older employees in terms of new technologies?
Alexandra Welter: In our digital age, I think an open mind is essential, regardless of age. I think it's important to move with the times, be willing to learn and not close yourself off from building up and developing digital skills.

But openness is not just about digitality: we simply need to be willing to question cherished routines, old structures and ways of thinking throughout our lives. For example, accepting that employees might want happiness management, even if I wouldn't have had that in mind as a senior manager.

one: How do you see the world of work for the over 50s?
Alexandra Welter: Some of my acquaintances are concerned about how they can maintain and develop their job acceptance, happiness and skills against the backdrop of increasingly later statutory retirement ages. It is essential that REWE Group thinks about models and offerings that allow us to continue to utilise the experience and strengths of older employees. I'm thinking here spontaneously of mentoring, mediation, leadership, but also senior expertise.

To do this, we have to remain willing to learn and keep questioning our attitudes. Being curious and open are age-independent skills, but they are essential for late careers.

one: Do you have a role model for yourself?
Alexandra Welter: My parents are a great role model, especially my father. He started his own business at the age of 57 and was still professionally active in it at 70, and very successfully too. Now he's 80 years old and still in great shape. Like him, I can imagine many things. Except one thing: not working at all.