Monika is the CEO of BluHeera AG, a Switzerland-based boutique advisory company. She has a PhD degree in economics and management, a demonstrated history of working in the financial services sector and energy industry. She is skilled in corporate finance and treasury, capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, business development and strategy and has strong international background, as well as an extensive business network. Monika is utilizing all the above in the consulting area to help smaller and medium sized companies with professional services to become more successful.
We caught up with Monika in preparation for her involvement in the Wellbeing at Work Summit Europe which takes place from 23-25 May live and in-person in Amsterdam & Zurich to find out why she is so passionate about wellbeing at work and why she is looking forward to the Summit.
We are thrilled that you will be speaking at our Wellbeing at Work Europe Summit in May. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
I am doing fine, thanks for asking.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing?
Depending on the age and country of origin, we may be facing different challenges. The one I would highlight as the one I find the most challenging for the moment: to keep the consistency and reasonability of expectations compared to the performance. In other words: cut back on unrealistic requests and not to let people loose motivation.
What strategies have you seen developing in Europe over the past 6-12 months to address health and wellbeing in the workplace?
The most prominent – as per my opinion – was the introduction of hybrid solutions, which was actually applied in our case since the day 1 of our operation. We are a young and still relatively small company, which has performed a huge growth since its foundation in 2018.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
We, being advisors, are running a so-called people business, which is heavily built on trust. Consequently, our colleagues, such as myself, have to perform our best to keep the business going. Humanity, empathy, and compassion has not been more important than recently, besides the quality of our services.
What are you most looking forward to about the Summit in May?
Having no real close exposure to HR professionals, I would be interested in their approach to the subject matter, preferably from different angles.
Tell us, what is your vision for the workplace of the future, in terms of employee engagement, health and wellbeing?
My vision is to keep what we have at the moment, in a bit larger scale, meaning more people being the part of it as regular employees. Larger scale would not mean more hierarchy, as keeping the organisation flat is what I believe in in this sector. Having an inspiring and safe environment with clear principles is key.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12-18 months?
Clear governance, gaining back proportions and focus on the corporate objectives. Instead of focusing on deviant behaviours and outliers, exaggerating fashionable issues without seeing the big picture, window-dressing in relation to some political topics, paying attention to the well-performing key people shall be the priority. Otherwise general, corporate level performance problems may occur or deepen.
How has your organisation been leading the way?
We have a small team. I personally have always believed in authenticity and leading by example. If my colleagues are satisfied, they may spread the word so we will be in a good position when it comes to hire additional people.
Monika will be speaking in Zurich at the Wellbeing at Work Summit Europe that takes place both live and in-person in Amsterdam & Zurich and virtually for the wider region. Further details on the Summit can be found here.
