17 and a Half Questions with Dr. Isabell Claus

1.  What excites me about my job…

Innovation! At the heart of my job has always been a mission: to develop and commercialize technology to solve problems better than they were before. This takes courage and passion, as not everyone sees the potential of disruptive innovation. But that's the appeal: maneuvering step by step, from an idea on a blank sheet of paper to a hugely influential company.

2.  What frustrates me sometimes…

I'm impatient; things never move fast enough for me. I only ever notice that we are moving super-fast as a company when I look back on where we were before.

3.  My secret dream job

Rocket scientist

4.  My top strategy for surviving a really bad day at the office

A bad day is only temporary, tomorrow it will be history. So, plunge through the worst of it and then move on.

5.  The moment I find I am in the flow

Almost always because no day is the same and it always stays exciting.

6.  Biggest success so far

Taking two companies from zero to millions in a short time as a team.

7.  My greatest defeat

These are always in the kitchen. I’ve always been the worst cook on earth.

8.  Worst buzzword

Actually, I don’t have one at the moment.

9.  The best reward after a hard week at work… 

A wellness trip!

10.  Home office or in-house?  

Both have their good points; a variety is the ideal.

11. The most important quality a colleague/business partner can have?

He or she should be an enabler, someone who makes the impossible possible.

12. My creative hack

Travel! Whether it’s far away or close to home, the change of perspective is where the ideas come from.

13. The first website I check in the morning

This depends on what my personalized news reader recommends.

14. My favorite digital tool 

www.thinkers.ai – Artificial Intelligence for intelligent people!

15. The book or series from which I have learned the most for my (work) life

Years ago, there was The A-Team which featured adventures that you could only complete successfully in a team, combining very different skills with a lot of craziness.

16. Which series, book, or podcast I would generally recommend...

I like to recommend books about artificial intelligence. Some philosophers explain the topic in such a way that anyone can get an insight and overview of the important topic (for today and the future.)

17. Most prominent follower on social media? 

Many exciting women in business who are making big things happen. Especially since I joined Generation CEO, I’ve connected with some incredibly impressive ladies.

17 and a half: What has always... 

...fascinated me is making European technology really successful internationally – no ifs, ands, or buts!