Doctor Sabine Schneider studied biosciences at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster (Bachelor) and toxicology at the Heinrich-Heine-Universität in Düsseldorf (Master). During her subsequent doctorate at the Leibniz Institute for Environmental Medical Research, she investigated molecular mechanisms of genetic and environmentally induced skin ageing. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, she joined Horn & Company in autumn 2021 in the Financial Services department, where she now is Senior Associate.
'Agile environment, exciting challenges and excellent career prospects: The switch to consulting was a completely logical step'
Dr. Sabine Schneider
Sabine, you did your doctorate in toxicology and now work as a Financial Services Consultant at H&C. How did the switch from the natural sciences to the world of finance come about?
My doctorate was not only very beneficial for me professionally, but also personally. I realised that I am driven by three factors in particular: my curiosity, the constant search for new challenges and my aversion to routine and stagnation. I have also found some of these things in research, but by no means with the frequency and to the extent that I personally would have liked. Consultancy offers me a very agile environment, exciting challenges and excellent career prospects. The move to consulting was therefore a completely logical step for me. In order to be able to take this step, I first familiarised myself with the classic requirement profiles for consultants. I realised that I already possessed some important qualifications.
Can you briefly describe your career path up to joining Horn & Company?
Initially, I studied biosciences at the University of Münster for my Bachelor's degree, during which I spent a semester abroad in Sweden. I then got one of the rare places to study toxicology at the University of Düsseldorf. During my doctoral studies, I worked intensively on the topic of skin ageing at the Leibniz Institute for Environmental Medical Research. I researched the molecular mechanisms of genetic and light-induced skin ageing and identified possible approaches to delaying skin ageing. Following my doctorate, I joined Horn & Company directly.
Horn & Company employs a particularly large number of consultants with doctorates. Was that one of the reasons for choosing Horn & Company and how do you experience the day-to-day work with colleagues here at H&C?
Definitely! It was important for me to be surrounded by colleagues who are both highly qualified and experienced in professional life. As a team, this enables us to get to the heart of complex issues very quickly, ask the right questions and, above all, always think one step ahead. We work together at a very high level and are extremely efficient - and our customers appreciate this too.
Outside of the projects, interesting discussions often arise in a wide variety of subject areas and you can learn a lot or pass on knowledge. What are the advantages of working with colleagues from different disciplines? Welchen Vorteil hat die Zusammenarbeit mit KollegInnen verschiedener Disziplinen?
We definitely have diversity at different levels and, above all, in terms of academic background. In addition to traditional economists, we have many physicists, mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists. Colleagues with different academic backgrounds and very different personalities often come together in the project teams. This is exactly what makes working together so exciting. Everyone can contribute their strengths, which means we complement each other perfectly as a team. Especially when it comes to conceptual work, we are able to take a wide variety of perspectives into account. These ultimately benefit our end products and make them significantly more robust.
Of course, you always need to have a sound knowledge of economics. How and where did you acquire this?
During my doctorate, I attended economics courses at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf. These took place three evenings a week and were specially designed for non-economists. This gave me a good basic understanding, which I continue to build on, especially through my projects. Of course, it's also helpful to keep up to date - I read magazines with an economic focus and listen to relevant podcasts.
Ultimately, however, the most important thing is "learning by doing". We work as a valued member of the project team right from the start and are gradually given more and more responsibility. This is the ideal way to gain a solid position and grow in your role. Another thing I particularly appreciate is that the partners are also involved in the operational part of the projects. This enables a close exchange from Partner to Fellow, which means you learn a lot and we can benefit from each other's experience. We also have an extensive range of training courses that help us to expand our technical expertise and strengthen our soft skills.
What projects have you worked on so far and which projects are you currently working on?
So far, for example, I have worked on a project in the area of controlling at the IT subsidiary of a leading German insurance group and I am currently supporting the comprehensive reorganization of private customer sales at one of the largest cooperative banks in Germany.
Were there any references to your academic training and if so, where does it help you?
My previous academic training helps me particularly in terms of methodology. As a natural scientist, I have strong analytical skills that help me to structure problems first. When developing and evaluating solutions, I can use my critical way of thinking and my urge to always ask "why?". In my scientific career, I have also learnt to work in a very granular and detailed way, which helps me to produce high-quality work today.
How do you experience Horn & Company as an employer and what do you particularly appreciate about the company?
What I particularly appreciate about Horn & Company as an employer is first and foremost my colleagues. I find the combination of young, highly motivated colleagues on the one hand and very experienced colleagues with in-depth industry knowledge on the other extremely exciting. Regardless of hierarchies and experience levels, we still treat each other as equals and maintain a constructive and humorous dialogue. In my previous projects, mutual support and appreciation were also prioritized, which is very important to me personally. Overall, thanks to my colleagues, I have found a great environment at Horn & Company. I can only recommend Horn & Company as an employer and am always happy to meet new colleagues with interesting academic backgrounds.
