Careers without borders – unlock opportunities worldwide with Vorwerk

Katharina, what was your first introduction to Vorwerk?

Vorwerk was always there in our home. I grew up with the products – Thermomix® and Kobold were part of everyday life. And not only the products themselves: for a while my mum was an advisor at Vorwerk and my dad worked at Vorwerk Elektrowerke as well as for Vorwerk Germany. His job meant we moved from Heidelberg to Wuppertal, so Vorwerk was personally significant to me from a very early age.
 

How did you come to work at Vorwerk?

As part of the business and engineering degree I studied in Dortmund, I had an internship at Vorwerk Elektrowerke; specifically in Project Procurement. It was such an exciting time, and I carried on working as a student employee in Procurement even after my internship was over. That experience really made me understand how decisions are prepared for and how many touchpoints need to be taken into account.
 

After your studies you started out on a different path. Why was that?

I certainly wanted to get started at Vorwerk immediately and I actually had some discussions about it back then. But at that stage there wasn’t quite the right entry-level role which worked in terms of specialism and timing. So I decided to take up a different exciting opportunity at well-known management consultancy. That proved to be a good choice, as the role gave me valuable experience in international corporate settings – and I was later able to effectively make use of that at Vorwerk.

So then what brought you back to Vorwerk?

I had stayed in touch with a lot of my colleagues. And in the meantime my former line manager been appointed Chief Operating Officer in Switzerland. One day he asked me if I could see myself being part of his team there. And from that conversation I ended up taking the position of Head of Warehouse and Transport Management in 2023. The Warehouse department had not previously been my professional area of focus, but the challenge involved was exactly what made the position exciting. It was a big deal that Vorwerk had confidence in me to fulfil this role successfully. The work also turned out to be a great fit for me: as a person who loves structure and data, I am happy to embrace responsibility for ensuring that things are in the right place at the right time.

A central focus of my work during that period was a new, externally operated central warehouse which was to be opened at the Schwelm site in Germany. This project involved the redevelopment of many processes as well as the coordination of numerous internal and external stakeholders, which meant it had a particularly formative impact on me. I was additionally able to gain other valuable experience at Vorwerk, including within the Group Talent Program and as a result of being invited to the Direct Selling Academy – which was a personal highlight for me.
 

Why is that?

I had a fantastic team when I was working in Switzerland, but of course the work there was mostly carried out on a computer screen. The Direct Selling Academy gave me a deeper insight into the world of our advisors for the first time. The enthusiasm in the room was tangible and hugely contagious. I also found out some remarkable life stories. While there it became clear to me that I really wanted to move closer to the world of direct sales at Vorwerk.

How did you turn this wish into reality?

First and foremost, I had a lot of conversations with colleagues in the Group. In the course of these conversations I came to see that moving to a national subsidiary could be the right step for me. When that exact opportunity arose for me in Australia, I was very happy to grab it. Since Summer 2025 I have been Chief of Staff at Vorwerk in Australia and New Zealand.
 

Chief of Staff – what does that mean exactly?

There are around 5,000 advisors working in Australia. Fundamentally my role is about working with my team to create the best possible conditions for their success. One focus of this is operational support in sales, along with devising approaches that promote motivation, dialogue and recognition. This also includes planning and implementing events and incentive trips, as well as special experiences that we use to honour outstanding services and for long-term motivation of our advisors.
 

How was it getting started in Australia?

I felt welcome from the very first day and all my colleagues have been very supportive of me and my new responsibilities. I think that’s amazing. After all, you need to realise that Vorwerk products in Australia were sold via an independent distributor until Thermomix® was reintegrated in November 2024. My role was also a newly created one. So of course a few things had changed for employees and advisors in recent months, and I don’t think you can take it for granted that a new manager would receive so much support. The fact that I got to know some of my colleagues at events before starting the job also helped.

Did any of them have reservations about having a manager from Europe?

No; even though I don’t have many years’ market experience in Australia, I was trusted right from the start – and that trust only continues to grow. The most important thing is that I have something important to contribute: the transition from distributor to a Vorwerk national subsidiary means that many colleagues have only recently joined the Vorwerk family. My international experience and Vorwerk expertise means I can support them in better understanding our processes and structures.
 

Can you paint us a picture of your daily routine in Australia?

People get started early in the day here. In the afternoon after work, many people are drawn to the seaside or the countryside. This active way of living is addictive. The nature here is generally incredibly awesome and the country is made for road trips: with just a few hours of driving you are in a completely different world. And then there are those little everyday realities that you don’t expect: beaming sunshine outside but getting goosebumps indoors because of heavily air-conditioned rooms. Even the lunch break here is different from Europe, as people will often just eat something quickly at their desk. And yes – Australia wouldn’t be Australia without some wildlife-based surprises: there have been spiders in the car, in the mailbox… a quick check inside my shoes is now an established part of my routine!
 

Do you ever get homesick?

The thing I feel most strongly is the distance from my family in Germany – particularly on days when something is happening at home or when you just want to be together for a moment. The fact that my partner came with me to Australia from Switzerland means a lot to me. It was a big move for him, but he can continue his work from here. Which means we are able to experience this fantastic adventure together.

Thank you Katharina for the frank conversation and insights into your journey at Vorwerk.