Interview with team leader Tamara Freudenberger
PTA IT Consulting, headquartered in Mannheim, has established a new office in Segovia, a city of historical and cultural significance not far from Madrid. The new team leader Tamara Freudenberger is no stranger to this: She started her IT career at PTA Munich in 2004. In this interview, she explains how all this came about, the objectives of the new branch in Spain and what tasks await the software engineer.
Ms. Freudenberger, you can look back on a very exciting and special biography to date. Would you like to give us a brief overview?
After studying business informatics in Karlsruhe, I started my career at PTA in Munich. At the time, our team was advising a large insurance group and I was able to gain my first experience in various IT projects there, for example in the development of store systems. Thanks to my IT expertise, I then had the opportunity to join this particular insurance group and deepen my knowledge. I ended up in Spain because of love. I met my husband there and have been living with my family in tranquil Segovia, about 90 kilometers from Madrid, ever since.
This is certainly not an everyday career. What happened next in Spain?
When I arrived in Spain, I first worked in the construction industry and then as an IT consultant in a Spanish IT consulting firm, which also specialized in IT projects in the insurance industry. Spain has now become the center of my life. I really appreciate the country and its people. Spain really has a lot to offer and a number of beautiful spots that are definitely worth a visit. It’s a great place to live for my family and me.
And how did PTA and you finally get back together?
Matthias Wossidlo, who hired me at PTA Munich in 2004, called me one day. He asked me if I could imagine working for PTA again and joining forces to set up a branch in Spain. This was of course a very interesting new challenge for me, all the more so because the first step was to once again look after the insurance client I was familiar with, whom I had advised during my time in Munich and for whom I ultimately worked myself. I also found this particularly appealing in view of the fact that, even after all these years, I still meet familiar faces there and maintain good contacts. I also find it exciting that the company is still a PTA customer after so many years. A win-win situation for everyone involved.
This closes the circle. Where will the new location in Spain be and what tasks will you be dealing with?
The new branch will open at my home in Segovia. Initially, we are building up a very small team there to support the insurance customer with its internationalization. We may then be able to provide support in one or two places in Germany. This promotes professional exchange and will add value for both sides. Spain and Germany have a lot in common: we are united by European culture, we work in the same time zone and I am the interface and translator for the linguistic hurdles.
Keyword team – which skills and specialists are in demand?
I would like to put together a good team of experienced IT specialists and young professionals. First of all, the focus is on sound knowledge of Angular, a client-side JavaScript web framework for creating single-page web applications. Of course, solid IT know-how is required on top and knowledge of other programming languages is also an advantage.
This is certainly not an easy task. Surely Spain is also struggling with a shortage of skilled workers, and skilled workers are in high demand in the IT sector in particular?
Yes, there is also a clear need for specialists in Spain and we will be actively searching for suitable colleagues throughout the country. Recommendations are also always welcome. I am confident that we will succeed. After all, we can provide good framework conditions and therefore offers. We also offer home office throughout and are convinced that new, collaborative forms of work will shape our working world in the future. We also maintain a constructive, respectful dialog throughout the PTA Group. The doors to our office in Segovia are of course always open. And if you fancy a visit, Segovia is a picturesque town with plenty to discover and experience. These include Romanesque churches, a former royal palace and a Gothic cathedral, not forgetting the famous Roman aqueduct, which stretches through the city center with its 160 arches.
