Jessica Neff, Business Administration

What is stated on your business card?

Senior Manager Marketing Operations @ adidas Emerging Markets LLC in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

What exactly is your task and your role in your company/organization?

Heading up Marketing Operations for the adidas brand in Emerging Markets (Middle East, Africa, India, Turkey, New Markets). Responsible for end to end Concept to Consumer processes and calendars  and translating Global Brand agenda to the Emerging Markets towards
convergence into one unified go-to-market approach and calendar. This involves Go to Market events, processes, systems, sample management, sell-in tools, showroom set up and special projects.

What's the best about your job (... and what's not so great... )?

adidas: Working for adidas is more than just a job – it’s a lifestyle! It allows me to combine personal with professional interest and live my passion for sports on a daily basis.

Diversity: With Dubai being one of the most diverse places in the world, working with over 50 nationalities at adidas can be challenging at times but gives unprecedented insights into different ways of working, cultures, believes, points of view and massively broadens your horizon.

Creation / Flexibility: Building up a new function as well as working in such a volatile and diverse region as Emerging Markets allows you to bring in ideas and create things from scratch, try out new ideas and adjust flexibly based on the environment (as compared to Europe where processes are mostly set in stone and flexibility is lacking). It’s one of the most challenging and at the same time interesting environments to work in.

Which experiences from your time of study have had a particularly notable impact on your life? Which of them are still useful to you today?

I was given the opportunity to spend my practical semester with Bosch Automotive Products in Changsha, China. The experience of moving and adjusting to such a different environment was fascinating and motivated me to pursue an international career.

With regards to actual studies at university I believe the most beneficial skill I was able to develop was problem solving. Case studies and team work simulated real life situations and challenged us to look at a situation in a holistic way. Especially during my MBA case studies in teams were predominant and the best possible preparation one could get as basis for a professional career.

Being part of the Programme for Excellence was the stepping stone to become part of the  German Scholarship Foundation which eventually allowed me to get an MBA in the United States. Without the recommendation and support of HS BRS professors I would not be where I am today.

(Anmerkung der Redaktion: Das Programme for Excellence ist ein 2-semestriges spezielles Förderprogramm für die jeweils besten Studierende des Fachbereichs Wirtschaftswissenschaften.)

What advice would you give to all those who are studying at present?

1)    Try to get as much work experience during  your studies (e.g. part time office job as compared to waiting) and try out different departments.

2)    Gain as much international experience as possible.

3)    Make it a priority to become fluent in English.

4)    Build your network.

5)    Soft skills matter more than technical skills.

What does our University mean to you? Please complete the following sentence: “For me, the Bonn-Rhein Sieg University …"

…was the stepping stone for an international career: From Germany to China to the United States to the United Arab Emirates – living abroad since 8 years, five years in Dubai and counting.