Cool Careers & How You Got Them
A conversation with professionals who have cool and interesting jobs and a description of their career path, targeted at high schoolers, hosted by Zain Raza, a current high schooler.
Cool Careers & How You Got Them
2.5 - CEO at Bertelsmann, Inc. Maysa Dahdouli
In this episode, Ms. Dahdouli takes us through the ins and outs of being the CEO of a global organization with various and distinct businesses.
Hello everyone, Welcome back to another episode of Cool Careers and how you Got them. It's been a while since we've had an episode. I've been wrapped up in the world of college applications and decisions, but I'm happy to be back. I'm your host, Zain Raza. I'm sure lots of adults ask you what you want to be when you grow up and if you're anything like me, you don't really have an answer for them. Hopefully my podcast can give you some inspiration. I'm very excited and lucky to be joined today by Mrs Mehsa Dahduli. It was a very cool and interesting career. She's dedicated to becoming the CEO of Bertelsmann US, with a background in corporate tax and, without further delay, let's get into it. Mrs Dahduli, how are you?
Speaker 2:Hi, good morning. Thank you so much for having me, Zain.
Speaker 1:Of course. Thank you so much for coming on. We're really excited to learn from you. Why don't you start us off how we always do? What is your official title?
Speaker 2:Okay, so my official title is actually CEO of Bertelsmann Inc, and so maybe I can give you a little bit of background on what that is as well. As I head up the. So I joined Bortlesman Inc. I should say where I joined.
Speaker 2:I joined Bortlesman Inc in December of 2018 to lead the US corporate tax group, so really the whole corporate function was led by me overseeing anything to do with corporate tax, such as M and a, mergers and acquisition tax, planning, compliance, you name it. We, my, my team and I did it all three years ago, but, but I should say is the. The corporate tax role was really what led me into this current role as well. So I have a dual function is in the corporate tax world. You know, we touch so many aspects of the business that most people probably don't realize right the supply chain planning, like I said, m&a and so on, and so you know.
Speaker 2:I was then moved into the CEO role of Bertelsmann Inc, which is the US corporate center for Bertelsmann, and so now I lead up all the corporate functions for Bertelsmann on the US side, supporting all of our US subsidiaries. Now you'll probably wonder what is Bertelsmann, because when I was approached about this role, I didn't know much about the name Bertelsmann and when I really started to read about the company Bertelsmann I realized how much we interact with Bertelsmann on a daily basis and probably don't know it under the umbrella the overarching umbrella name. So Bertelsmann is actually a German headquartered mega company and we're in many different businesses. So in the publishing space our largest subsidiary is Penguin Random House Book Publishing. So sure see you're smiling, so you know, exactly who that is In the music world.
Speaker 2:We own BMG Music, so artists such as John Legend and so on. So again names that probably in the US were more inclined to know under the brand names not so much Umbrella, but Bertelsmann owns all of these brands. And so we also have businesses in the education space. We also have business in the TV production, as well as logistics and supply chain management.
Speaker 1:What's it like when you're working for a company that wears so many different hats and you know you've got your hand in all these different bags, completely seemingly to us outsiders unrelated things? You know, how do you? How does that come into play? Does it make it more difficult? Does it make it more interesting?
Speaker 2:That's a great question. So I spent my 11 years prior to Bertelsmann in the medical space, so in medical device, and that was actually a question for myself, as how do I pivot from medical device manufacturing to media? And I would say, you know, I think that it provides a very unique world right In the space of Burblesman, because, you're right, you are jumping from different businesses, different. You know plans and as well as how they, how they meet the market, right.
Speaker 2:But I would say is at the core it's, you know some of the same principles would apply. And so you know really is understanding from each management team is, when we're working on a project, what are we trying to achieve here? And and working together as a team to, to to find that common ground? So I would say, yes, sometimes there are some things industry specific, but I would say, you know, there are also principles that apply across the board.
Speaker 1:Okay, great. Now let's do a little blast from the past. When you were a teenager, you know, because our audience is targeted for teenagers what were you like?
Speaker 2:You want the answer I would give you or my parents would give you, I would give them both. So it's funny, because I actually was a teenager who wondered this very exact question, which is the premise of your podcast, which is why I love it so much is you know, cool careers and how do you get there? I, you know, try to connect the dots, but I would say is I was very curious teenager and probably not to the benefit of my parents, meaning I was not one to just take the answer no, very lightly. I wanted to challenge and understand why, and explore and but also really test my boundaries. And I would say is in hindsight, while it really upset my parents at times back then is you know, really, really being true to who you are and when you have conviction?
Speaker 2:Um, and, and I'm for the for the better things, right, so, careers, career choice, um, school choices and so on, um, I feel that it always panned out to my benefit and, and then my family came along great, and did you have any idea of like what kind of field you wanted to work in, or like a specific job?
Speaker 2:No, actually. So my, I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so the corporate world was actually something very unique and almost nonexistent in my family. I would say I was the first one to enter the corporate world. Again, you know, everyone is kind of the family owned their own businesses. So, no, I didn't have that insight, right. And so I chose an undergraduate degree in marketing, thinking that, you know, it was some sort of pathway to something that I've known, which was business from my family, right.
Speaker 2:But then I have to tell you, I graduated and I thought this is probably not for me, meaning I wasn't a very creative person. Yes, I understood business and I appreciated business and I thought it would be cool to make the marketing connection. But then I realized this isn't for me, and a little later in life than I would have preferred. But I did graduate with my undergrad in marketing, and then I asked myself what is it that you really enjoy? And the answer was always math, or some odd reason. You know it was always math, um, and so I wanted a career in math.
Speaker 2:But I had to be honest with myself and I naturally have always loved, you know, the world of teaching, and so I explored a career in becoming a math teacher and, being honest with myself, I first knew that my personality, I like to continue growth, I would be bored in the classroom for a very long time and so I then decided, okay, it's not career in teaching math, maybe a career in accounting which kind of blends both the world of math as well as business environment.
Speaker 2:So I set out to go back and get my master's degree in accounting and it was there, while I was getting my master's degree, that I experienced a fantastic professor, professor Roth, who really opened my eyes to the world of corporate tax, which again, never on my horizon before, never knew a thing about it, and I really liked it because it kind of blended the world of law as well as math in an environment, in a business environment. So it really met all the elements that I was looking for and things that I knew that I would enjoy and hence started my career in tax.
Speaker 1:Can you talk a little bit about the journey from tax to your current position now?
Speaker 2:Sure, I would say they're intertwined and they're really. You know, I would say my career in tax is what led to where I am today and I would say it's still, you know, a very big um, um role in in what I do today. Um, and so you know, I would say it taught me a lot about um. You know, most times people think corporate tax or tax is just simply, you know, april 15th comes along and you file what you owe the government. No, and that's what I really enjoy about tax is that you're really working with the corporate teams, whether it's on buying new targets or supply chain management they're all of those really have an element of tax and you really learn a lot about the business in the tax world. So I would say it's really been a huge part of where I am today.
Speaker 1:So you know, a pretty common theme that I see pop up a lot is growth. A lot of the guests that I have will talk about you know their current career, but then they'll also reflect back on the things that they were doing before they got to wherever they are now. So you had to outline some certain skills or even things you picked up doing. It could be I worked at Starbucks when I was in high school and I learned this from there and I still use it today. You had to pick something like that. What would it be?
Speaker 2:So I'm going to answer that in a twofold Okay great, and in two ways. First, I would say the skill that I, you know, really impress upon my kids and also my teens is the hunger for learning. Meaning is always staying curious, right, even if it's something you know nothing about. If you're in a meeting and you hear a topic or you hear a phrase, or you know a conversation and you know nothing about, go back to your desk and research it, you know. Just, you know, out of curiosity, because the next time around you'll start to connect more dots, right, the next conversation you'll, you know, those dots start to connect.
Speaker 2:So staying really curious and hungry for learning more, that was always my thing, right, I constantly wanted to be in a learning environment, in a learning environment. The second part of how I would answer your question is you'd be surprised on what jobs that you can start when you're young, at your age. That could really be very, very impactful in your future growth Meaning. So I'll give you my, my experience, my, when I was approaching graduation, high school graduation I wanted a job and you know my father at the time was, you know, really more impressing on me just to stay focused on school, but it's going to be a distraction and so on and so forth, and this is what I mean by being, you know, a little bit more stubborn.
Speaker 1:And that's a familiar conversation in my house too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and and and, by the way, I'm not I'm not encouraging anyone to go against their parents, but I'm just saying that was my experience. But I, I, I wanted to go out and I wanted to prove that I can do it, that I can do school and I can have a job and so on. And so I got a job at the local Gap store against my parents' wishes, and told them after the fact and I have to tell you back then I just took it as a job that you know, just a retail job and so on of that you know, oh, just a retail job, and so on.
Speaker 2:But I ended up accidentally growing in that job while I studied, right, and so by the time I graduated college, I actually held, you know, management position and so on. And in hindsight, a lot of what I do today is people management. A lot of what I do today is people management, people development and navigating scenarios, right, and that is where I would say, a lot of that training actually came from my retail world, because there was a huge emphasis on soft skills, on coaching, on training, on development, training on development, that that those things are not so um, you know, we, we, then we we go, we enter our careers and we're so hyper focused on our hard skills, right, on the technical stuff, that those soft skills really become more important than anything, because you enter a room and you are tasked with solving a dilemma, a business dilemma, right, and you have all these criteria. And it is those soft skills that is, understanding people, understanding the strength of your teams, understanding how do you bring everyone together I would say become paramount.
Speaker 1:That's actually exactly the reason that I wanted to get um. I still do want to get a job and I use the same exact terminology to my mom. I was like mom, the soft skills, like they're so important. So I'm trying to work at a pizza shop over the summer and, you know, for this exact same reason. Um, and the, the curiosity thing also. I'm sure that comes into play all the time, right when we were talking about having your hand in seven different hats and with the divisions of birdles, men, um, but also I find that a lot of the guests that I have also say curiosity and that comes into play with the pivoting in different career choices and moving around. So completely, you know I get what you're saying. So obviously I think you have a very cool career because you're on the show. But if you had to outline a couple of things, what would you say makes your career cool or unique?
Speaker 2:couple of things. What would you say makes your career cool or unique? Well, I would say the fact that every day is a new day. There is no two days the same in my world. So, you know, today, one day, I could be working on a potential opportunity in the publishing space, and, you know, here are the criteria. We're trying to get some benefits out of the way that we structure this deal and so on, and so that to me is exciting. Um, the next day it could be, um, you know, actually in today's world. I'll give you a very real example, right, um, you know, we're in an environment right now where we have executive orders every day right.
Speaker 2:So, in today's world, is, you know, interpreting those executive orders and what does it mean for our company? Right, because we're impacted by everything that happens at the federal and state level, and so really then, pivoting immediately to address what those new changes can be. So I would say the fact that there's always uniqueness in managing. You know the different environments that we have to navigate through, but also is working with our teams in the US. I, you know I very much enjoy that and I always learn from those teams.
Speaker 1:If you had to outline a couple of traits, character traits that it would take to be successful in this field what would they be?
Speaker 2:People, people skills, always maintaining a smile. Even when there is an issue or a challenge, I find that people respond or they feed off of your energy as a leader, right, and so if you are chaotic or respond in anger, or respond in something goes wrong, then the whole team becomes in a fury. Right Is always maintaining that calm, the smile, and also you know there's nothing that you can't figure out as a team, as long as you you pull the right people to the table and you strategize and get to a resolution. So I would just say, maintaining calm, but also really focusing on um, the people and maintaining a smile.
Speaker 1:What's it like having the responsibility of working, um, and man, I'm sorry, managing people under you, because I have a very seemingly silly example. Um, but I am a student ambassador at my school. So, like I take families on tours, I, you know, we represent the school at different events and stuff, and then me and a couple other kids got promoted to be coordinators, but now we oversee the student ambassador program and even just that, like the five of us managing 60 or so kids, I'm not gonna say I don't love it, but at times it can get really, you know, frustrating and annoying, and you know it. It's, um, a point of uh, what's the word? It stresses me out sometimes because, you know, and especially because I'm managing people, but there's still somebody above me, right? The Dean of admissions is who I'm reporting to, so the actions of all the people under me are reflected on me. So, on a much bigger scale than what I'm dealing with, how do you deal with something like that?
Speaker 2:And that's a big responsibility, Zane, and I'm sure you're doing a fantastic job.
Speaker 2:I would say is you know, it's very important that it's always a we right, because people, you know, tend to, when something goes wrong, is immediately go into defense mode and you know, tend to, when something goes wrong, is immediately go into defense mode and you know, trying to, you know, explain what happened, right, and I would say that anytime something has gone wrong, right, is, you know, obviously, maintaining composure, like I said, working through what happened, how did we, how did it go wrong, how do we correct it? But most importantly for me, most importantly, is what did we learn from it? Right, how do we correct it prospectively? So that that, to me, is, is you know, more crisis or issue management? Right, but in terms of people management, I've always really focused on what everyone individually are really good at right, and that is really important because that's where people shine. Sure, there are some jobs that you kind of have to do, the things that you don't enjoy or are not so good at, but if you really try to match the person to their passion, you will get incredible results. And I've, you know, recently done that a few times where I've had teams on the people on the team who were in the wrong roles and created a brand new role that really fit not only the needs of the business but really fit their personality and incredible, incredible performance there and value brought to the company. So I would say is my job as a leader is not only managing the work, it's also finding where are people's strengths and matching them to those strengths.
Speaker 1:Making notes for myself so I can bring this back to the student ambassador program. Sure, I learn as much as all the audience does. This is all new for me, so it's also very helpful. Thank you, why is what you do important?
Speaker 2:you know what we do is important. I mean, you know, for some of our businesses it's. You know, for example, in the public space, you know having different voices is very important. But in healthcare space, you know, one of our businesses has an online education program. You know, again, all important stuff. But I would say for me why it's important is I am not only setting the tone for my own team at work, but I'm also setting the tone for my children at home.
Speaker 2:And that was always very important for me growing up. My father, like I said, he was an entrepreneur, but he unintentionally, not by words but by action taught me the value of work, ethic and honesty and people. And so that is important to me, because the way I operate, the way I hold myself accountable, the way I function, and even if they hear work conversations, you know when I, when I take them is it's you're indirectly sending a message to your children and setting the standard for your children. So that's you know, really becomes an important thing for me that I relay on to them what I, what I obtained from my own experience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely so I know. When we were talking earlier and I asked you what makes your career cool or unique, you said every day is different, so there might not be a regular day at work, but, for example, like what's the most normal it could get. What would a regular day at work look like?
Speaker 2:Um, okay, so my most normal day would be waking up.
Speaker 2:Um, so, you know, since we are German, um headquartered um there's always the Europe email time zone emails in the inbox when I wake up. So going through those emails, um, just reacting, just reacting or making sure that there's nothing new or significant on the horizon, then I would say the next course of the day would be, you know, taking my typical calls, whether it's weekly updates, with the team checking in on open M&A projects that we have so we're highly acquisitive in the US and so you know we work on many projects at once and then closing the day with you know what needs to get done, whether it's this week or the following week, so that way we're not in, you know, pure procrastination mode that we have plans for weeks out in terms of what needs to happen and for me to align with those team members in advance of anticipated stuff on the horizon.
Speaker 1:So when you say the team, how does this work? Is it like there's one person that's kind of managing or representing each subdivision and they're reporting to you?
Speaker 2:No. So I say the team, meaning so on my team I have head of HR CHRO, which is chief human resource officer of legal affairs, head of finance and treasury, and then my tax team, treasury, and then my tax team. And so when I say checking in with the team, are the team leads in that aspect, and so from those team leads then they manage respectively with the underlying businesses in the US.
Speaker 1:Okay, got it. And you brought up another interesting thing Bertelsmann being a German company, obviously the funky email timing with the time difference. But are there any other kind of things that were new to you, Maybe like a cultural thing or the way the company is run, anything you had to deal with?
Speaker 2:I wouldn't say new. So my former company that I mentioned the medical device. We were global and I oversaw corporate tax for global as well, so had the experience in many parts of the world in terms of working with local teams there.
Speaker 1:So nothing new in terms of working with German colleagues and has been fantastic to be a Bertelsmann and also work with our corporate center colleagues, A lot of my guests also don't have an exact like a nine to five set schedule, but you had to estimate how many hours would you say you work a week.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 1:The work never stops, does it?
Speaker 2:No, um. So I would say that's a very good question. I can't gauge in in in our um count um, but there are seasons for us, or I should say times of year. So you know, your, your typical work week week right Is is what 40 hours in the U? S? Actually, a Burleson is 35 in the U? S, but we don't really go by the hour count right, because it's really dependent on the needs of the business.
Speaker 2:So, for example, if we're closing on a deal and one recently closed on a Saturday, which is very unusual for us, and one recently closed on a Saturday, which is very unusual for us, it's working the weekend right. It's not that often that we do a weekend closing but again, it's really being in tune with what is critical and what can wait till the next day, right? So if we are obviously, you know, really eager to close on a deal that's going to require more hours um than than a typical work week Um, and to to get the deal done um, in a typical work week I would say, you know, it's probably 40, 40 plus hours Um, but there is no typical week.
Speaker 1:I would say Got it Now. Another thing that's really important for people I see a lot is flexibility in the work schedule. You know, like my son gets sick, I want to be able to pick him up from school and go home, make him soup, take care of him, or I have this unique opportunity come up. I want to be able to take a couple of days and you know, experience it. I'm sure someone at your status you know it's not an easy substitution where you have a replacement ready to go on standby. But what kind of flexibility do you have?
Speaker 2:So I would say a lot of flexibility. So I would say a lot of flexibility, and it's not only important for me, but it's also important home or going into the office, and sometimes I do need to step out and pick up the kids right from school. But you know, when you're at a, actually, a former CFO of mine, who I had a lot of great respect for, used to say to us and this is what in my junior years is you're all professionals, you manage your own right and and I love that because it's true, it puts the up the responsibility on each individual member to bring you know their best to to the workplace, and so I've never been a micromanager in that respect and you know um. So I appreciate the flexibility right and I've always respected it and expect the same from my team. So I would say a lot of flexibility, not only for myself but for my team, but knowing that they're going to bring their best every day.
Speaker 1:Okay, Doubt it. You know we talked a lot about work, but how do you use your free time?
Speaker 2:My free time, I would say, is heavily consumed with my children um, my teen and my tween um, but also you know like to stay active. Uh, do have a lot of fun going out, friends and, you know, trying new things um. I would say travel is a very big um of our lives. So really, as much as possible, try to break away from the computer and go out and see this beautiful world.
Speaker 1:What's the next travel destination? Okay that one is not with the children or the husband.
Speaker 2:A girlfriend and I are actually going out to Utah to a wellness resort right in the middle of the rocks and visiting Sedona. And yeah, an adult experience, not with the kids.
Speaker 1:There you go, a little extra free time we talked about. You know you're training in a retail world, giving you skills in people management, and you're working with people under you, but is your work like how much of it is actually with other people? Is it all with other people?
Speaker 2:All of it OK. You're only as good as your team and how you work with your team Absolutely so everything is working with somebody on the team.
Speaker 1:Okay, got it, and is that generally how it works for everybody at your level?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm glad you asked that question because that has been a point of, I would say, growth throughout my career, but also in helping develop team members. Most people at certain parts of their career believe I can just do this much faster myself. The time it's going to take me to bring someone else to support on this I can just get this done myself, you'll find is, yes, you could probably get it done faster yourself if you have the know-how. But you're really not then growing your team, are you Right? You're not sharing experience. You're not sharing that growth opportunity, that learning experience.
Speaker 2:And so you know, early on I really forced myself even when there were times where it was easier to do it myself is to bring somebody else in, because that was always a good opportunity to train, to learn and also hear different perspectives, because, you know, my perspective isn't necessarily the right perspective all the time Right and someone else might have something to to offer. Um, so always working with someone, even if it's something that I can do on my own, it's a learning opportunity for somebody else.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Um, you know, as you know, you've gone on this career journey, you know come a long way. What's the next step in this field for you?
Speaker 2:huh, the next step? That's a great question. Um, I would say I mean the, the us. So so, like I said, bertelsmann is a german headquartered company and germany has always been the number one market. But the us has grown exponentially in the last years and actually, for the first time in its history, has now become the number one territory globally.
Speaker 2:So the US continues to become a very important market for Bertelsmann and in my job, in terms of supporting on the corporate end of those initiatives initiatives is my job naturally grows because the complexities grow, the needs of the US businesses grow, and so my job will naturally grow alongside that. And you know really thinking about how we now leverage and support the volume growth in the US. So you know that's a constant conversation for my team and I. As the US exponentially grows is, you know, looking into automation projects, looking into AI? How do we supplement what we do today a little faster, a little bit more accurate with the tools that we have available? So I would say is that the job will continue to grow with the US growth.
Speaker 1:How do you see AI coming into play now for Bertelsmann?
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a great question. So we have a whole AI team and I mean what I've learned from them is incredible in terms of where AI is being used throughout the organization. It's really fascinating. But I would say, from my experience and my group is I don't think AI is going to replace any of the functions on the corporate side in terms of what we do, but it certainly enhances what we do and it certainly can be a very powerful tool in terms of how do we again, support this growth, but faster and better, right. Support this growth, um, but faster and better, right, um. And so you're like somebody I forget who said this, but if you're, it's, it's um. If you're not using ai, you're almost going to be, you know, out marketed from from the rest who are using ai yeah, this is actually a good time to do the mailbag.
Speaker 1:I had a couple more questions I have ask, but we'll get to those later because it's relevant right now. If you would like to submit for the mailbag, you can email Zane at CoolCareersAndHowYouGotThem, you could fill out our get in touch form on our website, coolcareersandhowyougotthemcom, or DM us on Instagram at CoolCareersAndHowYouGotThem. And today's question comes from Katie, who's a junior in Oregon and she wants to know if she's interested in working in the corporate world, but she's scared about how AI could either dominate that area or, you know, put her at risk of losing her job. Are there any ways she can ensure job security?
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, absolutely is. You know, I would say, um, I, I wouldn't be so concerned that it's going to replace the job as much as how can it enhance the job. So really understanding is, in whatever field that you're in or that you're looking to come into, right, right is, how is AI being leveraged in those roles? So you can almost get ahead of that. But also really think about how do you integrate that with what you would have to offer in that role. So if you see it as a barrier, I think that's going to be only to your, that's going to be only to your um, you know, um downside. But if you see it as a benefit and enhance it and and embrace it, then I would say is you have nothing to fear of it yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Um, do you have a favorite um division of birdles men to work with? Like, are you like, oh yay, I get to work with um the publishing group today, like I, oh yay, I get to work with the publishing group today, like I'm so excited. And then other days you're like, oh you know, I don't want to work with marketing. Not that you know, no diss to marketing, but that's a very dangerous question to ask, dane.
Speaker 2:I mean I would not pick one subsidiary or one group over the other. I mean, obviously our job is to support them and make sure that you know we're great partners to them. But I would say is I do enjoy the publishing space. I think it's very interesting when we're looking and when we're working at some of these projects, what you learn about how certain companies came about and the history and you know it really shapes the voices right in the market today, right. So whether it's, you know, a publishing group that's focused on children's books, for example, or or um publishing group, um focused on, you know, wellness or anything like that is learning the background I find is always fascinating and how they came to be um and really enjoy when it's a company that was built from the ground up, um, not so much you know the, the, the mega companies, but you know really seeing that fruition and and learning about the company. So I would say that's good, not picking a favorite. This is just in terms of.
Speaker 1:No, of course not, Of course not. When I was looking at all the divisions I was really interested by the record label BMG. Could you talk a little bit about that?
Speaker 2:So, yeah, sure. So BMG, like I said, is our music group. Fascinating because, you know, when there is an investment proposal on some artists that I either listen to or my kids listen to, that's always a very, I would say, cool aspect of the job. Right, space, though in terms of what we do on the corporate side, or at least in my role, is very unique to the others.
Speaker 2:Right, because, in terms of the rights, world is very different than tangible world, like the publishing space, right, so in the world of publishing, yes, there are the intangible aspect of it or the digital aspect of it, but primarily it's a very tangible business, meaning the hardcore, the paper books and so on. And so it's a very different world when it's in the digital space. And you know understanding all the implications of that. And you know understanding all the implications of that because you know you, as a consumer, you simply go on and you click on a song to listen to and that's it. Right, but in the background there are so many complications to that one click that you would not even imagine, right, in terms of the, the royalties, the administration of that, and you know all that goes behind the scenes. So I would say it's a very fascinating, unique world how does that work?
Speaker 1:do you approach an artist, or does an artist approach you guys?
Speaker 2:uh, yeah, so so that is actually done, um, primarily at the bmg level, so that's at the operating unit level, and where we get involved is in terms of, if there is an investment proposal, right, is you know at the corporate level, is reading through that, making sure that there's no? You know items that we would flag in terms of executing the investment proposal and providing that feedback?
Speaker 1:What would be an example of a flagged item? That's a very good question.
Speaker 2:So, for example, I'll give you an example in terms of we look at a target, right, and there are risks in terms of an HR risk, for example, or for we would structure the deal. If there's a more beneficial tax structuring opportunity, that would be a flagged item right. So, you know, it could be from different work streams in terms of how we think about the project, but also what it could do for us. So we could have made an offer that wasn't the most beneficial offer in terms of how we can actually, you know, obtain certain benefits in the way that we structure it. So that would be a flagged item. We would provide that. And so that's really, I would say where, um, I would probably say I enjoy spending most of my time is on structuring deals from from a corporate tax perspective, because it really, um, it's a very great place to find some nice values of value for the company.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. Do you ever get to meet the artists?
Speaker 2:Uh no, we were just on the corporate side. So we don yeah, absolutely. Do you ever get to meet the artists? Uh no, we were just on the corporate side.
Speaker 1:So if people want to learn more about you or what you do, where can they go?
Speaker 2:Um, so my LinkedIn would probably be the best place. Um, you know, try to stay active on there but, um, do you have? Uh? Um, if, or if someone wants to bounce me an email, happy to answer emails as well yeah, I saw um birdlesman got ranked as one of the best places to work.
Speaker 1:Um, that's, that's pretty good. I'm sure that's has something to do with you and you know your management style.
Speaker 2:So that's all. The credit goes to our HR team who facilitated that. But yes, we got two years in a row. We just started applying two years ago for the Great Place to Work, which is a not only nationally but, you know, globally recognized rank.
Speaker 2:But it's a really neat program where they survey the staff and it's so. We maintain our own internal surveys at Bertelsmann and fortunately we rank really high. But this is completely third party and since you know, I would say for me personally, when I joined Bertelsmann the name Bertelsmann was not know, I would say for me personally, when I joined Bertelsmann the name Bertelsmann was not really, I would say it didn't resonate until I understood the underlying brands. I thought it was important that you know when we go out to market here in the.
Speaker 2:US that we maintain that recognition. So, yeah, two years in a row, super happy about that. And you know, respect remains to be one of our top categories that we rank really high and I and I value that.
Speaker 1:What's what's the secret? But what makes it so great?
Speaker 2:Really again respecting people at all levels, respecting different opinions. You know perspectives and, like I said, is, if you stay people focused and's you know perspectives, um, and like I said, is if you stay people focused and you know true to who you are, um, you know people will bring their best. Everyone comes wanting to do a great job. It's a matter of you figuring out how do you get them to do a great job absolutely um.
Speaker 1:So, as we wrap up, you know you've got the ear of many highly ambitious students. Do you have any final advice for them or an ask for them?
Speaker 2:I would. So actually, I thought about this before we started our interview, um, thinking about my conversations with with my son and my daughter. So our time in the car is always career time, right, or chats about everything going on in life. And my 14 year old son, you know, anytime he's he's talked about careers, it's I want to make a lot of money. And so my, my angle, or I would say my tip for your, for your listening audience, and also the same tip I would give for my son, is don't follow the money. Follow what you will enjoy. The money is temporary, yes, it'll give you joy upfront, but that's only short lived. Follow something you truly enjoy that, yes, can give you a comfortable life and so on, but that will last you a lifetime.
Speaker 1:Where do you think the disconnect comes from? Where people try and follow the cash instead of following what they are really interested or what they're passionate about.
Speaker 2:I think it comes with wisdom right. When you're young, you see success equal equates a dollar sign. I think when you get older in life, you start to appreciate that that's not the case. Happiness comes from being happy, but also being comfortable. Right, and that can be. You can be in a job making a lot of money, but not working with the right people and not working in the right field that you want and that's only going to bring you down right In terms of your overall feeling. Right so I would say, is you know if you find the right career that suits you and suits your passions, but then also marrying that with the right environment. Right Is again don't go after the job that's going to pay you the double in the salary versus the team that were really respectful and treated you well in the interview cycle and so on. Um, that'll that'll pay you in dividends in the long run absolutely.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, miss daduli. This is really really, uh, insightful and informational for all of us. Informative for all of us, um, and yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for inviting me. This was great. Thank you so much, Zeng.
