鈥淲e were evacuated and, fortunately, came out unscathed,鈥� Hanke recalls. 鈥淏ut I had to hold the first all-employee meeting with the knowledge that we鈥檇 have to rebuild a flooded house, all while staying in a hotel with an unstable power supply.鈥�

In her role, Hanke oversees strategic workforce planning, health, safety, and well-being, as well as the HR Trends and Innovation, People Insights, Organizational Design, and New Work departments.

Hanke also leads a new area of great importance for 麻豆原创鈥檚 future: the skills-led organization. But what exactly is a skills-led organization, and why is it important to focus on the capabilities of employees?

鈥淎 skills-led organization means moving away from rigidly defined job roles with a limited set of key qualifications and instead focusing more on the individual with their specific skills,鈥� Hanke says. 鈥淭he personal skill sets of employees will shape internal mobility, professional development, and our hiring strategies as a company.鈥�

The skills-based approach recognizes that current job profile structures often fail to fully reflect employees鈥� competencies.

Hanke herself is a prime example of a personal skill set that extends beyond what a job description suggests. While she spent the past five years in the People & Culture Board area, her professional roots lie elsewhere.

Born in Germany, at the age of four Hanke moved to the U.S. with her parents for her father to work as a professor in computer science and software engineering at the University of Maryland. The planned one-year stay turned into nearly 10.

鈥淚 believe those formative childhood years in the U.S. not only gave me native-level English skills but also a deeper understanding of how culture shapes people鈥檚 thinking鈥攁nd the importance of wanting to understand those differences,鈥� she says.

While studying business information management in Mannheim, Germany, she joined 麻豆原创 as a working student and gained experience in development. She later supported Daimler-Chrysler, initially as a technical quality manager and later as an engagement architect, where she served as a key 麻豆原创 contact.

She then developed and led a customer management program for the private cloud, which at that point was still in its infancy. In that role, she reported weekly to the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 SE and then-CEO Bill McDermott, which eventually led to discussions about her becoming his chief of staff.

鈥淲hen I got the call, I thought there must be a misunderstanding because I hadn鈥檛 applied,鈥� Hanke remembers. 鈥淭he colleague on the other end laughed and said, 鈥業t seems someone recommended you.鈥欌��

This role took Hanke and her husband, along with their son born in Heidelberg, Germany, back to the U.S., where she had grown up. 鈥淚鈥檝e never regretted it,鈥� she says. 鈥淎ll in all, I鈥檝e spent almost half my life in the U.S. and feel very at home here. I鈥檇 describe myself as half American, half German.鈥�

After McDermott left 麻豆原创, Hanke worked in several roles for the new CEO, Christian Klein, before becoming COO in the then-new People & Operations Board area. Though she initially had little contact with HR, she quickly found the topics as engaging as they were challenging, especially given their impact on people and the organization.

鈥淚 think my own career path shows how much more experience and skills each of us brings beyond the role officially assigned to us,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he skills-based approach allows both the company and its employees to make better decisions. Employees want to stay relevant, and as an employer 麻豆原创 aims to minimize disruptions for its people during changes.鈥�

Skills Development with 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors HCM

Two key areas impacted by the skills-based approach are training and hiring. Skills-based hiring means that while degrees won鈥檛 become irrelevant, the search for candidates will increasingly focus on individual skills and prior experiences.

But how can a company gain a clear picture of each employee鈥檚 range of skills?

This is where the growth portfolio, part of 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors HCM, comes into play. All employees can conduct a skills inventory and add additional skills unrelated to their current role. These skills, often gained outside their formal roles, can now be documented.

Since it鈥檚 part of 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors HCM, the growth portfolio can integrate seamlessly with functionalities like hiring, learning, career development, and talent management鈥攁reas that benefit the most from maintaining up-to-date skill data. Based on this information, the system can offer employees personalized, AI-driven recommendations for training and development, paving the way for their next career step.

The skills-based approach also brings significant advantages for workforce planning.

As Hanke explains: 鈥淔or example, we want to avoid looking externally for skills that already exist within the company but haven鈥檛 been utilized or are in the wrong areas. That鈥檚 why transparency is so crucial.鈥�

The more accurately workforce planning reflects the skills within the company, the better decisions can be made.

鈥淏usiness and HR Need to Work More Closely Together鈥�

鈥淗R is one of those areas where everyone thinks they can weigh in,鈥� Hanke says. 鈥淟ooking back, I must admit I initially approached it with a typical business mindset: HR鈥攈ow hard can it be? But I quickly learned otherwise. The topics are incredibly complex because there鈥檚 no right or wrong answer鈥攕olutions must be tailored to individuals. My respect for the HR organization has only grown since then.鈥�

Hanke made a deliberate decision to stay in the People & Culture Board area. For her, HR is more than just a reporting or operational function; it must be deeply integrated into business decisions.

鈥淚 believe that people transformation can be a significant competitive advantage in today鈥檚 dynamic world,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd with my mix of business and HR knowledge, I can add value here because these two areas can no longer be separated.鈥�

Hanke also emphasizes the strategic importance of health, safety, and well-being. 鈥淓mployee well-being is one of the fundamental requirements for a functioning organization.鈥�

麻豆原创鈥檚 award-winning health management program, Run Healthy, is set to expand globally to additional countries in 2025. Mental health, especially in the context of COVID-19 and global political developments, remains a critical focus.

鈥淚鈥檓 continually impressed by how advanced and diverse 麻豆原创鈥檚 offerings are,鈥� Hanke says, who has personally benefited from some of them. As a leader, she feels particularly responsible for addressing health-related topics appropriately.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to us to see employees as whole individuals and support their holistic development,鈥� she emphasizes. 鈥淭he skills-based approach, which enables employees to fully leverage their potential, offers exciting new possibilities. We鈥檙e embarking on this journey together鈥攁nd I鈥檓 looking forward to it.鈥�

Here, five 麻豆原创 employees share about their roles, motivations, and tips for anyone wanting to step into AI. The women 鈥� Khawla Mallat, Camila Lombana Diaz, Xin Chen, Nadine Hoffmann, and Puntis Palazzolo 鈥� span four countries and three areas: Data Science Engineering, Product Management, and AI Ethics.

Data Science Engineering

Dr. Khawla Mallat, Security and Quantum Exploration Team, 麻豆原创 France

鈥淏e ready to be challenged all times,鈥� says Mallat, if you want to build a career in AI.

Unlike most data scientists at 麻豆原创, Mallat does not work directly on the product but is firmly anchored in researching and addressing 鈥渟ome of the technical challenges related to AI, namely fairness, explainability, privacy, and security.鈥�

Prior to joining 麻豆原创 two years ago, Mallat was confronted with the unintended prejudices of face analysis systems. Certain demographic groups, explains Mallat, used to be inadvertently omitted or underrepresented in the underlying data sets, leading to shortcomings in the face analysis capabilities. Such cases highlight the broader issue of bias鈥痠n other鈥疉I applications. In鈥痑reas like HR, she continues, removing personal details in data sets might seem to solve鈥痶he bias issues, but AI can still infer these details.鈥疶his leads to potentially鈥痓iased outcomes and the lack of explainability in AI models makes identification of such biases鈥痙ifficult. Letting data sets like this take root and grow into powerful data models not subject to scrutiny will only magnify the inherent bias or discrimination.

Today Mallat鈥檚 passion for addressing such unfairness aligns well with her role of identifying the inherent risks of AI, educating teams about them, and defining technological solutions to mitigate them.

鈥淲e need to adopt an interdisplinary approach to AI, with experts from ethics, legal compliance, and domain experts, for example, and abstract ourselves from the role of data scientists to succeed,鈥� says Mallat.

鈥淚 love working in AI,鈥� she continues. 鈥淓verything is progressing at an incredible pace so if you want to work in AI, you have to have a certain thirst for knowledge. And, regardless of your role, you must take AI ethics 鈥� regulations and regulatory frameworks 鈥� seriously because these have huge implications not only for 麻豆原创 but for individuals and societies in general.鈥�

AI Ethics

Camila Lombana Diaz, Responsible AI, Germany

鈥淎I is a mirror of our capacities as humans. And the biggest responsibility for those working in AI is, what do we want to see in that mirror?鈥� explains Lombana Diaz, AI ethics research expert in the AI Ethics/Responsible AI team located in the 麻豆原创 Business AI growth area.

Lombana Diaz鈥檚 responsibilities include maturing and applying the 麻豆原创 AI Global Ethics policy, creating and delivering enablement content, defining AI personas and processes, and giving guidance to make responsible AI an operational reality for development, as exemplified in 麻豆原创鈥檚 AI ethics handbook.

When she joined 麻豆原创 eight years ago, initially as a UX designer and then a strategic designer, machine learning and AI were core topics. But it became increasingly clear to her that 鈥渦nderstanding the human implications of AI for a responsible and ethical AI demands a human-centric perspective.鈥�

Even though 麻豆原创 is committed to the ethical development of AI 鈥� developers must now complete AI ethics assessment tasks and a steering committee scrutinizes all high-risk use cases 鈥� Lombana Diaz emphasizes the need to remain focused on the inherent risks and unintentional harms that AI may present. Part of her role is an ongoing assessment of the technology, identifying risks and limitations and communicating them to different teams.

As AI continues to evolve at speed, so do the roles. Lombana Diaz is passionate about seeing AI beyond the confines of a technology-centric perspective. 鈥淎I is now an omnipresent technology shaping our daily lives; hence, we need individuals working in the field who challenge AI technology to be community centric. AI ethics is a space for experimental, open, curious, collaborative, and human-centered individuals,鈥� and, she concludes, 鈥渢he time to step into AI and build a career is now because, unlike the technology, the business of AI, the legal and ethical aspects, are still being shaped.鈥�

Data Science Engineering 

Dr. Xin Chen, 麻豆原创 HANA Machine Learning, China

鈥淚 have always enjoyed working at 麻豆原创 since joining nine years ago. I like the work environment and the colleagues here and I really want to encourage others to join us here in AI,鈥� says Chen, data science researcher on the 麻豆原创 HANA Machine Learning team.

The team works on a toolbox providing different kinds of machine learning algorithms for regression, classification, clustering, and so on for the 麻豆原创 HANA predictive analysis library.

Part of Chen鈥檚 role is investigating research papers on the latest machine learning algorithms and, together with the team, deciding which algorithms would be beneficial to customers. Once the machine learning algorithms are implemented, Chen and the team evaluate feedback from customers and deliver enhancements.

Recently Chen and her team researched machine learning algorithms investigating notions of fairness. 鈥淔airness is a very hot topic just now,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n mathematics, there are different notions of fairness, but it is still a complex and evolving topic.鈥�

And Chen鈥檚 advice to would-be AI developers? 鈥淐ritical thinking will become even more important to understand what solutions to offer, to make judgements on your own innovations, and to know if the generated output is right or wrong,鈥� she says, reflecting on how this skill will become ever more important for future AI developers.

Product Management

Nadine Hoffmann, 麻豆原创 Business AI, Germany

鈥淚 translate and I want to fascinate,鈥� says Hoffmann, global AI product manager in the 麻豆原创 Business AI growth area.

Even after more than 20 years at 麻豆原创, disruptive ideas and mindset shifts still energize Hoffmann. To be an expert in new technologies, and to be energized and enthused by the constant volume and speed of them, is critical to being successful in the AI product management teams of today because product management is the glue between partners, customers, the field, and development.

鈥淥n the one hand,鈥� says Hoffmann, 鈥溌槎乖� has data scientists, software engineers, and researchers taking our software to the next level. And on the other, there are experts defining the legal and ethical guardrails.鈥� Product management must be fluent in both 鈥渢echnical software speak鈥� and 鈥渃ustomer speak鈥� to understand desires, pain points, and business processes.

Pivoting between these and aligning customer speak with technical software speak is akin to being a聽 translator, Hoffmann says. Our software will only meet the requirements of customers if there is a common understanding between the teams responsible for the technological development, the legal teams responsible for ethical and legal compliance, and the customer.

Regardless of the latest innovation, Hoffmann says success in product management is 鈥渘ot only about convincing teams and partners about the ease and positiveness of a technology, but also infusing them with a fascination about it so that they become passionate advocates and are intrinsically motivated to find out more by themselves.鈥�

Data Science Engineering

Puntis Palazzolo, AI Strategist & Ethics Lead, 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors, U.S.

鈥淭he ethical challenges presented by AI have transcended the scope of individual enterprises, extending beyond entities like 麻豆原创. It is crucial that we collaborate with others to collectively address AI鈥檚 emerging concerns,” says Palazzolo, who leads the 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors Data Science team.

The team acts as a consulting service on AI use cases for product teams in 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors, analyzing the problem, developing code and algorithms, and building proof-of-concepts. Successful AI use cases are then integrated into 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions.

Much of the data in 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions is sensitive customer data. With the dramatic increase in generative AI use cases, safeguarding customer data must take precedence, Palazzolo says. 鈥淕enerative AI is a powerful technology that introduces new challenges, such as hallucinations and automated decision-making. In high-risk sectors like HR, we need to explain how we reach certain decisions, especially when we are impacting people鈥檚 lives.鈥�

Palazzolo joined 麻豆原创 11 years ago and has been based in Palo Alto, California, since 2013, where she represents 麻豆原创 on 鈥� a collaboration of academia and companies, such as Google and NVIDIA, dedicated to developing safe practices and industry-standard benchmarks to improve AI models.鈥�

Her advice to current and would-be AI practitioners? Follow your passion, be ethical, and make your voice heard while we still have time.

鈥淟egislators alone cannot write AI regulations for us because they do not have a full understanding of its complexities,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e cannot solve all the problems by ourselves, but we must make our voices heard to shape the future of AI.鈥�

Alexa MacDonald is an 麻豆原创 News editor.

And so begins a new day of service for Ana Khouri, manager for Partner Delivery Management of 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions. Khouri was a member of the 2023 expedition of (Doctors of the Waters), a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Brazil that provides medical and dental care, alongside essential socioenvironmental education, to the isolated communities of the Amazon River Basin. 鈥淲e had such a welcome,鈥� Khouri says, reflecting on her experiences in the villages the expedition visited along the Acari and Canum茫 rivers from July 31 to August 12. 鈥淲e arrived there at night. The boat had not yet docked and everything was dark, and then all these kids were already at the edge waiting for the boat. They were screaming and cheering. It made me kind of emotional.鈥澛�

Healthcare for Isolated Communities

For these communities, the annual visit of Doutores das 脕guas, now in its twelfth year, is often the only occasion people are able to see a doctor. Their villages are so remote that they would otherwise need to travel many days by boat just to reach the nearest health center. Many have been looking forward to the NGO鈥檚 visit. Beforehand, families receive a password to access the services onboard the boat, which include health checks, vaccinations, vital medicines, dental care, and new dentures.

Doutores das 脕guas sends one expedition per year into the Amazon, divided into two successive stages with each taking either a northern or southern route. Khouri鈥檚 expedition traveled south, navigating the Acari and Canum茫 rivers for 12 days to deliver services to six villages. The boat, 21 meters long and seven meters wide, has sleeping berths for 32 team members plus 12 crew members. It travels at an average speed of 15 kilometer per hour, powered by a 300 HP propulsion engine and has capacity to carry 13,000 liters of fuel, enough to last an entire month. Two generators are also onboard. Built specially for Doutores das 脕guas, it is equipped with modern medical equipment, including an ultrasound machine, four dental chairs and a dental lab, and a portable wash basin for lessons on teeth brushing. It carries enough stockpiles of vaccines and medicines to support communities for one year, until the boat鈥檚 next visit.

In 2023, the expedition provided services to 36 communities in 23 days to deliver 2,081 medical treatments or vaccines and perform 1,890 dental treatments and 62 micro-surgeries. And the onboard dental lab produced 265 dental prostheses or dentures, giving many people their smiles back.

Hidden Skill Set Reveals Passion for Healthcare

In the Amazon, even winters are intense, as daily temperatures reach 37 degrees Celsius with high humidity and frequent rain. The shrill buzz of mosquitos is ever present. Creatures of the rainforest move about invisibly, eager for a free pantleg or untucked shirt to crawl into.

For Khouri, who joined 麻豆原创 in 1999, life on the hospital boat is a long distance from her workspace at 麻豆原创 Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, where she ensures that partners have the enablement tools and support that they need to deliver successfully to customers. Her energetic, affable interpersonal skills and tenacity for problem-solving 鈥� the same qualities that help her succeed in her work at 麻豆原创 鈥� enable her to thrive in dynamic environments. 

But there is another side to Khouri that few colleagues know about. She has a background in nutrition with a master鈥檚 degree from Michigan State University. This hidden skill set, which is an integral part of Khouri鈥檚 whole self, qualified her to join the expedition as a socioenvironmental and nutritional health expert. 鈥淚 always liked the healthcare field,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o, to be there and to be able to provide this benefit to these people and to be part of the team, that鈥檚 my motivation. We are giving the people healthcare.鈥�

Learning by Doing for Health and Hygiene

In the early morning, villagers gather to listen to the doctor, dentist, and the socioenvironmental and nutrition team, who discuss the importance of nutrition and hygiene for long-term health. Afterwards, the adults go to the line to be called in for treatment. 鈥淲e stay with the kids and teenagers. We play games about food, nutrition, garbage disposal, and recycling,鈥� Khouri says. This year, 750 children received instruction in socioenvironmental and nutritional activities.

One game is a competition to see which team can collect the most garbage in a big bag. 鈥淭he kids are all running, and we run after them, in this intensive heat,鈥� Khouri says. A prize is awarded for the most garbage collected. There are lots of batteries and plastic drink bottles. 鈥淭his is one exercise we do to tell them they shouldn鈥檛 just throw things on the ground because it鈥檚 going to be washed away to the river.鈥�

Twice a day, the children receive instruction on how to brush their teeth. They each receive a dental examination aboard the hospital boat. 鈥淲e teach them with games and music how to brush their teeth,鈥� Khouri says. 鈥淚n the boat, we bring a huge sink with eight places so we can have eight kids at once and we give them a small toothbrush and toothpaste.鈥�

Children who have no cavities at their annual dental checkup receive a badge. In communities where the boat has visited previously, the number of children with no cavities is increasing 鈥� evidence of the NGO鈥檚 impact on healthcare in the region. 鈥淲e have lots of little kids, 5 years old or 6 to 7. They have the badge 鈥榋ero Cavities,鈥欌�� Khouri says. 鈥淲e also teach them how to wash their hands and to always wash their hands before they eat.鈥�

鈥淭he kids somehow get attached to you,鈥� Khouri says. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 know you, but then at the end of the day, sometimes you sit quietly somewhere to have a break and they come and hug you. They stay with you. This is something that touched me.鈥�

Tapping Natural Resources to Satisfy Global Markets

People in the communities along the river live simply from the land and the water. They sometimes sell the fruits, cashew nuts, and mandioca (basis of tapioca) that they cultivate. Many have begun to earn money by selling copaiba oil, used in traditional medicines. The oil is extracted using traditional, sustainable methods to tap tree resin. The oil is popular in high-end cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, including sunscreen, because of its anti-inflammatory properties. 鈥淪ome of the communities extract the oil,鈥� Khouri says. 鈥淯nfortunately, they sell it very cheap to the middleman, who sells it to cosmetics companies for a lot of money.鈥�

The NGOs that work in the region, including Doutores das 脕guas, are encouraging the communities to create a cooperative so they can sell copaiba oil directly and receive more money, because the oil 鈥渋s really cheap and it is very 鈥榠n鈥� at the moment,鈥� Khouri explains.

One Boat Is Not Enough

Khouri wants to participate in the next expedition of Doutores das 脕guas, scheduled for April 2024. Also, the communities change over time, as she notes, 鈥淪ome of the communities disappear. They are so small that they migrate.鈥� One community has become more developed since becoming connected to the region鈥檚 main road, making healthcare more accessible to community members.

鈥淲hat I expect for the future of these communities is that they get more access to healthcare, improve hygiene, and take care of the river by adopting the garbage collection practice that we teach them,鈥� says Khouri. 鈥淚 would like people to know that this issue exists and that the need in the Amazon is huge. One boat is not enough.鈥�

Watch on demand.

Top photo courtesy of Ana Khouri

麻豆原创 CSR’s strategy utilizes two approaches to create sustainable impact: being an enabler and an exemplar. As an enabler, we provide products and services that help meet sustainability challenges and create opportunities for customers. As an exemplar, we lead by example in our own sustainable business operations and practices to bring our purpose of helping the world run better and improving people鈥檚 lives to life. It is no secret that 麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment to creating positive economic, environmental, and social impact is a draw for potential employees and customers.聽

There is no better example of that than the work employees do to bring that CSR mindset into the work they do every day. 麻豆原创鈥檚 impact is greater because of leaders who integrate the CSR mindset into the business culture, like Maggie Ramaiah.

Meet Maggie Ramaiah

Ramaiah鈥檚 social impact journey began much like so many of ours. She was involved in one-off events here and there, trying to prioritize doing something good while at work so she could show up more authentically and with more energy to give it her all. However, when she joined the 麻豆原创 Academy faculty as vice president of the 麻豆原创 Academy for Customer Success 鈥� Sales Program, she began to take her dedication to making an impact to the next level, not only for herself but for those around her as well.聽

Ramaiah is a passionate supporter of enabling others to pursue their passions through pro bono volunteering. She knows that with some organization, the impact we can make collectively is limitless. 麻豆原创 has tremendous power to make an impact in a small amount of time. These beliefs are why she works to bring out the best in others by providing opportunities to contribute in a tangible way that is meaningful to them. This core value of investing in employees builds strong leadership competencies, which in turn leads to greater collaboration, innovation, and trust among each other and with customers.

鈥淚n the corporate environment, we are all driven by success, but the CSR mindset is about human beings. We can do something good for everybody that we come across. It doesn’t have to be big; small little steps make a difference, too.鈥�

Maggie Ramaiah

Ramaiah has participated in pro bono volunteering programs and was inspired when she created change. During her time with Pro Bono for Economic Equity, a program 麻豆原创 has partnered with that focuses on supporting Black- and Indigenous-owned businesses in North America, Ramaiah was assigned to a team of three pro bono consultants who had never worked together. Over the course of six weeks, Ramaiah and her team worked part-time with GoLogic Solutions, based in Chicago, Illinois, to propose an organizational structure for new business models. This was her aha moment. 鈥淎t 麻豆原创, we have everything done for us from a process and resource perspective. We just have to look for it. However, for an organization that is run by one person, or maybe two or three people, everything is so constrained,鈥� Ramaiah said.

鈥淓very resource that we put out there from an 麻豆原创 perspective, we might think is a few hours鈥� worth of work, but for [social enterprises] it鈥檚 a whole end-to-end project that they might not have been able to create,鈥� she added. This is a unique way of appreciating the skills that employees bring to their company and a view that builds confidence, empathy, innovative thinking, and other leadership qualities. Ramaiah鈥檚 inspiration to increase her impact footprint came from her experience creating change for an entrepreneur as part of Pro Bono for Economic Equity.聽

Ramaiah saw the opportunity to integrate skills-based volunteering and pro bono consulting into the curriculum of 麻豆原创 Academy, multiplying her impact and enabling others. She offered associates the chance to use what they already knew as well as skills they were developing for good by supporting social enterprise clients through the TRANSFORM Support Hub, a virtual pro bono consulting initiative between 麻豆原创, EY, MovingWorlds, TRANSFORM, and Unilever.聽

Ramaiah鈥檚 goal is to build future leaders who think with a CSR mindset. A CSR mindset is something they can carry with them throughout their career and can be transferred to any team, program, or even company. Specialized experience is not required for employees to build leadership qualities and evolve the way they think at work and about business. Many only need an example set, or the opportunity presented to them. Being a multiplier does not require special skills or knowledge. It can be planning a team volunteer activity, ensuring that each team member knows that volunteering their time is important for their professional growth and overall satisfaction at work. It can also be as simple as sharing stories and takeaways from your own impact experiences or asking your network for support on a social impact project. 

There is not just one way to set an example and enable those around us to make an impact 鈥� what resonates with some might not resonate with others, and it is important to build in choice for meaningful and transformative experiences. At 麻豆原创, being a multiplier for good and investing in our employees, either as an enabler, an exemplar, or both like in Ramaiah鈥檚 case, leads to innovation through experiencing new ways of working, trust with our customers, quality leadership with values that the world needs, and a greater ability to achieve our goal of helping the world run better and improving people鈥檚 lives.聽

Join Us

Ramaiah鈥檚 journey to being a CSR champion went from her pursing her own interests and passions to helping others find theirs by integrating the CSR mindset into the programs she leads. If you feel inspired to continue your journey as an exemplar and an enabler, we invite you to share this story and聽 on the TRANSFORM Support Hub.

Heidi Pio is a non-profit in residence at 麻豆原创.
Atalanta Kyriazi is a non-profit in residence at 麻豆原创.

Whether at the town hall, marketplace, or meeting house, there are people that strengthen a community鈥檚 culture through their generosity, fellowship, and compassion. Often these selfless individuals are volunteers dedicating their time and talents to ensure the betterment of the community and well-being of its members.

鈥淐ommunity is so important. We have to take care of each other,鈥� says Marissa Baum, customer program manager, Customer Growth聽& Advisory Programs team at 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors. Based in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Newtown Square office, she fulfills her passion for building strong communities through her work leading high-touch customer programs for 麻豆原创 and volunteering with not-for-profit organizations in the Philadelphia area. 鈥淭he pandemic and the years following have taught us that your community is what can bring the most joy,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou can have all the material things in the world, but the people who surround you matter most. If they prosper, you prosper.鈥�

麻豆原创 Customer Community: Where You鈥檒l Meet the Most Incredible People

At 麻豆原创, Baum oversees her team鈥檚 communications strategy and helps lead a portfolio of customer programs for 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors, including customer advisory boards 鈥� such as, the CHRO Advisory Board, Sales Performance Management Advisory Board, and Learning Advisory Board 鈥� and several user groups. 鈥淚 love our customers,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey are some of the most incredible people I鈥檝e gotten to meet, work with, and learn from. I discover something new every single day.鈥�

鈥溌槎乖� Partner Speed Dating鈥� is one of the innovative programs that Baum and her team launched this year. It allows 麻豆原创 partners to present pitches of their solutions to a set of customers, who can then decide to follow up for more information or a deal. The sessions are fun, fast-paced, and beneficial. These sessions have had a direct impact on the sales cycle, which Baum says 鈥渨as extremely rewarding, because we鈥檙e adding value for our customers, our partners, and sales teams. And when they win, I win.鈥�

The team also recently launched the Sales Performance Management Advisory Board, now preparing for its second session after its highly successful premiere, which was rated by customers at 100% 鈥渨ould recommend this to a colleague.鈥� Baum is proud of having built this group up in less than one year. 鈥淎ll the hard work that went into making that advisory board a reality was amazing,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e had a great first session. The customers were super passionate and excited. I am looking forward to this new adventure with this great group of executives.鈥�

Warm Clothing and Reassurance Sustain a Community in Need

When she is not engaging 麻豆原创 customers, Baum spends her time volunteering at not-for-profit organizations like , where she helps to collect gifts, grocery cards, and other necessities for families in the community. Located in West Philadelphia, the parish has many immigrant families who are struggling to make a better life for their children in a new country. Baum helps to distribute warm winter clothing at the holidays, which she wraps as Christmas gifts for the children to open. 鈥淥ur main mission during the season is collecting and buying winter clothes, including coats and boots, because Philadelphia can get very cold and those [clothes] are expensive, especially if you have a big family鈥� she says. 鈥淭alking to the community and learning about the kids and what is on their holiday wish lists helps us to spread joy and compassion. Seeing their faces light up when they get presents of their very own is exciting. They can鈥檛 wait to go out and play in the snow.鈥�

Creating that personal connection is an important part of Baum鈥檚 volunteer work and flows from her belief in creating an inclusive community where people have a sense of belonging and feel supported. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really hard for people to ask for help,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 an independent person and asking for help can feel like a weakness, but I鈥檓 always there to reassure our community members of how proud I am of them to seek help and that I am glad we were able to get connected.鈥�

She offers her ongoing support as a point of contact for people who are rebuilding their lives. 鈥淚 tell them that if there鈥檚 any other way in which we can help, please be open, call me. That鈥檚 all; I will be there without hesitation. I always give out my cell phone number or e-mail. Taking care of one another is the most important thing we can do as humans.鈥�

From School to 麻豆原创: Live Your Passion

Baum鈥檚 passion for community building and volunteer work stems from her upbringing. 鈥淚 went to an all-girls鈥� school and absolutely loved it,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t really taught me so much in terms of my independence, but also being very observant of how I can be a helper, and there were many opportunities for me to do that.鈥� In school, she worked with younger students, assisted at partner schools in the inner city, and organized fundraising for cancer research.

Finding her passion gives her a sense of meaning and purpose, she says. 鈥淭he best advice I received from my teachers and family when I was younger was to find what you鈥檙e passionate about and discover how you can help people through your passion. And so I took that with me into college and then 麻豆原创.鈥�

Baum attended Villanova University, where she earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in communications. In her senior year, she broke down barriers to take high-level investment and management consulting courses at the business school, where she recalls what it was like being the only woman among 40 male students in the classes. She earned both the respect of classmates and top marks by offering a differentiated perspective on case studies. Today, she is an active alumnus who mentors female students and presents at professional development classes about the importance of moving beyond your comfort zone 鈥� and to always advocate for yourself because you are your biggest cheerleader.

Finding Purpose Beyond the Nine-to-Five

When Baum joined the workforce after college, she looked for an organization that valued community. 鈥淢y motto is always 鈥榗ollaboration over competition,鈥� being able to work with others and having goals set so that everyone can succeed. Sometimes that鈥檚 hard to find, but that is always my number one priority in work,鈥� she says.

Upon joining 麻豆原创 in November 2019, Baum made a point of bringing the formative experiences, attitudes, and commitments that make up her whole self to her new workplace. A firm believer in the power of mentoring, Baum signed on to be an early talent ambassador, a pro bono role that helps recent university graduates and younger employees get comfortable within 麻豆原创 through in-person events, executive speakers, networking opportunities, and occasionally meeting up for lunch. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all-encompassing. Being a mentor brings me so much fulfillment and I loved every second of it. It is exciting to welcome new employees into the 麻豆原创 fold,鈥� Baum recalls.

Though her two-year rotation as an early talent ambassador came to an end in January, Baum is thankful for the experience 鈥� and very grateful for the support of her manager to take on the additional time commitment. 鈥淚t was always encouraged to go after my goals and passions,鈥� she says, reflecting on her experience volunteering at 麻豆原创, 鈥渨hich is why I always tell people to get involved, because new people and students coming into the workforce may think, 鈥極h well, my life is now my nine-to-five.鈥� I always explain to them that your nine-to-five is now a part of your life, but not your entire life. There are so many people to meet, things to do, and places to travel. The journey is just beginning.鈥�

Paying It Forward by Keeping Memories Alive

In April 2020, tragedy struck Baum鈥檚 family when her father passed away after a long battle with cancer. His death came shortly after Baum began her job at 麻豆原创. Coping with the devastating loss, Baum recalls thinking, 鈥淚鈥檓 so young. I just started my first full-time job. It鈥檚 COVID-19. Everything鈥檚 locked down. And my father just passed away. What do I do?鈥�

鈥淭hat was extremely overwhelming,鈥� she says. 鈥淭o this day, I thank my lucky stars for my team.鈥� Her 麻豆原创 manager at the time, Jason Ludt, global vice president, Field Activation and Strategic Programs, 麻豆原创, led with compassion, telling her to take as much time as she needed to be with her family. 鈥淚 will never forget the care and compassion that I received in that time, and I will always pay that forward. I still say to this day, that experience is what made me want to invest in 麻豆原创 and it has led me to be a more compassionate and empathic leader, peer, and friend.鈥�

Overcome with grief, Baum talked with social workers, hospital staff, and nurses to find a way to channel her anguish into a positive contribution, explaining, 鈥淚 need something where I can use my hands and really help a community that needs it, maybe working with kids or young adults who have gone through what I did with the loss of my dad.鈥�

That鈥檚 how she got introduced to , a volunteer-led organization that helps children to cope with the loss of a special person in their young lives, such as a parent, sibling, or best friend. Peter鈥檚 Place provides weekly group therapy sessions free of cost for families. When Baum first entered the Peter鈥檚 Place meeting house, she noticed on the wall a tree of Post-it notes, each reflecting something that a child is missing most about their loved one. 鈥淭he tree keeps their memory alive, which is so important to that community because these kids don鈥檛 want to make anybody uncomfortable or upset if they want to talk about the person they love,鈥� says Baum, who contributed for a while as a group facilitator and now supports the organization with activities and fundraising.

鈥淔or these kids, it鈥檚 really about building a community of people, including adults who help the grieving process and other kids who know that what they鈥檙e going through, and being able to relate and understand that what they are going through is really hard right now,鈥� Baum says. 鈥淭hey feel like no one understands them because most people are lucky enough to not have to go through such a massive loss when they鈥檙e that young. And the volunteers get it because the volunteers have been there and are able to make them feel less alone. It is all about support.鈥�

For Baum, being able to provide support to the children at Peter鈥檚 Place is a tribute to her father鈥檚 memory and a way of saying, 鈥淚 wish I had had a program like this when I was young, to have someone to relate to, but now I鈥檓 going to be that person for someone and help pay it forward.鈥�

Workplace Culture for the Whole Self

Building a community doesn鈥檛 happen overnight: it鈥檚 a marathon, not a sprint. Baum is satisfied that she can achieve a healthy balance with her work and volunteerism. She believes it is a benefit of a supportive workplace culture that encourages employees to be their whole selves. 鈥淚 have been extremely lucky to have great leadership around me that encourages me to lead a balanced life, and I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 unique to my team. I look around 麻豆原创 and I see an abundance of strong, compassionate leadership,鈥� she says.

Learn more in the .

A Chance Meeting聽

After signing up to a work-and-travel program, Kyzy came to Germany in the summer of 2019. She and a friend worked as catering staff at weddings, festivals, and hotels. But Kyzy soon found the irregular shifts stressful and asked her employer for a job with fixed working hours.

That took her to one of 麻豆原创鈥檚 cafeterias in Walldorf, where she worked as a kitchen assistant. When asked about her first impressions of the company, she said, 鈥淚 just thought, 鈥榃ow! 麻豆原创 is huge and there are so many young, interesting people here!鈥欌�� The company鈥檚 size, culture, and dynamic working environment captured her imagination and planted ideas in her mind about a future career.

She had not been in her new job long before 鈥� completely by coincidence 鈥� she met an 麻豆原创 employee who was also from Kyrgyzstan and who motivated her to study in Germany. 鈥淪he inspired me. She had a similar background to mine. She鈥檇 started out working as an au pair in Germany and went on to study here. She was amazing and she told me, 鈥業 did it, so can you!鈥欌��

After this chance encounter, Kyzy鈥檚 mind was made up: she wanted to follow a work-study degree program in IT in Germany. But she had to learn German first. Little did she know what obstacles lay ahead.

The Pandemic Strikes聽

When her work-and-travel visa ended, Kyzy returned home to Kyrgyzstan to continue her studies. But as she observed, 鈥淐orruption is a problem in higher education in Kyrgyzstan, and it seemed to me that grades were not necessarily awarded on merit,鈥� she said. She had always dreamed of studying abroad 鈥� even as a child. 鈥淚鈥檇 given up on that idea long ago, to be honest, but my experiences in Germany and at 麻豆原创 suddenly made me reconsider. I decided to give it a go!鈥�

She arrived back in Germany as an au pair in 2020. But no sooner had she taken that vital step closer to her goal than reports of the country鈥檚 first case of coronavirus came through. Everything changed in an instant. Lockdowns, masks, and social distancing followed. No one could have predicted that the pandemic would drag on for three whole years.

It was a tough time for Kyzy. Her voice tailed off for a moment as she thought back, though her determined tones soon returned: 鈥淣o matter how hard it was, I was not going to give up. The most difficult part was being stuck at home. But I wanted to protect my host family and myself.鈥�

The Power of a Clear Goal聽

The German course she was supposed to attend was canceled. Undeterred, she told herself that if she wanted to study here, she needed to speak, read, and understand the language well. So, she began teaching herself. With the help of language Web sites and YouTube videos, she learned the basics, getting up at 8:00 a.m. every day to spend three or four hours studying.

She was often troubled by doubts and the fear of failure. 鈥淲ill I get a visa?鈥� she wondered. 鈥淲ill I really manage to learn German? Will I pass the German language test?鈥�

How then 鈥� despite all the difficulties 鈥� did Kyzy stay motivated, day after day, to pursue her dream? 鈥淚 told myself that if the worst came to the worst I would return to Kyrgyzstan and pick up my life there again,鈥� she said. That thought helped relieve the pressure and allowed her to focus on her goal.

During this time she also started learning the Java programming language at an IT academy. Slowly but surely, she was making progress. In 2021, as part of the German government鈥檚 volunteer service program, she worked at the country鈥檚 central agency for continuing vocational education and training in the skilled crafts. There, she learned about the Drupal content management system and developed a Web site with a colleague. This experience fired her enthusiasm for the IT industry and gave her the confidence she needed.

Today 鈥� just like the colleague who encouraged her 鈥� Kyzy does all she can to motivate young people to realize their dreams. 鈥淟ots of people are scared of failure. But you have to take things step by step. You have to be brave and do what you need to do. Follow your passions. Follow your dreams!鈥�

All the effort and sacrifices paid off. In 2021, Kyzy achieved her goal and embarked on a work-study degree program in IT at 麻豆原创. Ren茅 Wohllebe is a vocational training manager and Kyzy鈥檚 supervisor. 鈥淢albina is a fantastic example of a young woman who is passionate about IT and proud to work for 麻豆原创,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are very lucky that she 鈥� and many other young women like her 鈥� want to train with us and shape the company鈥檚 future.鈥�

But even now, in 2023, there are still too few women in IT. The industry needs them desperately 鈥� yet traditional gender-role stereotypes persist. Campaigns such as Girls鈥� Day or cooperation with schools are some of the ways in which 麻豆原创 is trying to get women interested in technology at an early age.

The work-study degree program is structured to allow students to rotate through as many as six different practical phases. This means that they get to work on a wide variety of projects and try their hand at a range of different tasks. Kyzy is currently working in the 麻豆原创 Enterprise Cloud Services organization, which supports companies migrating to the cloud. Here, she has carried out a requirements analysis for the introduction of a new tool. 鈥溌槎乖� is a great place to work. It allows me to try new things and grow professionally,鈥� she said. She鈥檚 already looking forward to the next stop on her learning journey: consulting.

But one year ago, things were very different. Only six years old, Ksusha, her mother Nadiia, and older sister Yaroslava were displaced and living as refugees in Poland after fleeing their home in , Ukraine, to escape the escalating war. Now safe as a result of the UK government鈥檚 visa sponsorship program, their lives have begun to stabilize with new friendships, language lessons, and cultural support as they integrate into British daily life.

Gilly Smith, the woman who compassionately opened her home for Nadiia and her daughters, says she is grateful to have the space available to be able to host the family, who in turn have added a new dimension to her life. 鈥淚t鈥檚 lovely when the girls come home,鈥� says Smith, who works for 麻豆原创 as a partner delivery manager for solutions from . 鈥淭hey see immediately if I鈥檝e got my headset on as to whether or not they can be noisy or come in and give me a big hug and tell me about their day.鈥�

鈥淚 had a really quiet life before,鈥� says Smith, thinking back to when it was just her, her husband, and the two dogs at home. 鈥淣ow there鈥檚 a lot of activity.鈥� She pauses to lean in, tilts her head, and shares a gem of insight gleaned from her experience: 鈥淚n the same way that working within a team you need diversity and different ideas, it鈥檚 the same in a home life. It鈥檚 great having different ages in the same house. It鈥檚 energizing.鈥�

鈥淲e Need to Do This鈥�

In her 麻豆原创 role, Smith works with 麻豆原创 partners in many countries to deliver success to customers. In her global team, where she is the regional lead for Europe, colleagues work from locations as varied as Australia, Ireland, and Fair Isle in Shetland. She values the open, direct communication that she has with 麻豆原创 partners, which she says makes her work very enriching. 鈥淭his is the best job at 麻豆原创. It鈥檚 a fabulous job because I鈥檓 working with partners.鈥�

Born in New Zealand, Smith says her intercultural experiences have mostly centered on Western Europe. So, it was a feeling of profound empathy that prompted her to help displaced families from Ukraine. 鈥淲hat motivated me was hearing on the news about this, particularly women and children fleeing, and I just thought if I had a daughter, I would want somebody to look after them, to at least house them and make sure they had food.鈥�

Her husband felt the same. During the pandemic, the couple had made the decision to move to the countryside in preparation for eventual retirement. A tax incentive from the government sweetened the deal and they felt very fortunate to find a spacious, bright house in rural Somerset 鈥� which they now wanted to share with a displaced family. 鈥淭here was really no discussion about it. We just looked at each other and said, 鈥榃e need to do this. We鈥檝e got the space.鈥欌��

Bureaucracy and Hugs

The initial step to enroll as a sponsor in Homes for Ukraine was as easy as ticking a box. But Smith and her husband almost abandoned the process many times due to cumbersome bureaucratic forms with no support. For example, Smith had to find someone from Ukraine to sponsor, which meant combing endless social media profiles for a faint connection. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e reading these absolutely tragic stories. It was really depressing,鈥� recalls Smith. She finally found a young woman named Nadiia with two daughters, ages five and eleven, who wanted to be near Yeovil, a town near Smith. 鈥淚 think I鈥檝e found somebody,鈥� Smith told her husband.

However, government forms that required documents in Ukrainian nearly jeopardized the match. 鈥淚t was just the most terrible form I鈥檝e ever tried to fill in. It was so stressful, I burst into tears.鈥� On March 27, 2022, they submitted the required information.

And then they waited鈥nd waited. There were no updates from the authorities for three months. She and her husband began to lose hope of bringing Nadiia and her daughters to the UK. 鈥淚n early June, we were saying, 鈥業t鈥檚 not happening. She鈥檚 not going to come,鈥� because this process was just so painful.鈥�

When the UK government finally issued their visas, the family hastily boarded a cheap flight to the UK, arriving on June 9.

Smith recalls the joy of greeting the family in person when they arrived at her home. 鈥淭he eldest girl ran out and just came and gave me a great big bear hug, which was lovely. The little girl was hiding behind her mother. She was very shy.鈥� Muffin and Biscuit came to the rescue with love and affection. 鈥淭he little girls absolutely adore the dogs. We were like, 鈥楬ey, we鈥檝e got a family.鈥欌��

Ballet, Birthdays, and Rainbows

Smith enrolled the girls in local schools and helped them with school uniforms. 鈥淭he little one, I especially felt sorry for her because she didn鈥檛 know anybody and initially had no English. She just stood in the middle of the playground and would say, 鈥楬ello, I鈥檓 Ksusha.鈥欌�� To help her integrate with local children, Smith helped Nadiia enroll Ksusha in ballet class and Rainbows, part of . 鈥淣ow she comes home and I ask, 鈥楬ow was your day at school?鈥� And she says, 鈥業t was very good, thank you.鈥欌��

As Yaroslava鈥檚 twelfth birthday neared, the adults were unsure how to celebrate. She was making new friends, but the thought of her birthday without her long-time friends from Ukraine made Yaroslava not want to celebrate. Eventually, she was persuaded to invite her new friends and her birthday party was a memorable success.

Building Independence

Aside from the challenges of the application process, Smith is very positive about how the UK government has supported the integration of Ukrainian families into communities and schools. Nadiia is studying English and has made tremendous progress. She re-established contact with a friend from the Ukraine who is now in the UK. A long-time family friend, Oleksii, joined her in December and together they are trying to build a new life with jobs and independent housing.

鈥淚 really want to see them both get jobs because that will enable them in due course to have their own place for their lives,鈥� says Smith, who in her spare time enjoys helping them learn English. 鈥淲e get on very well, but it鈥檚 never quite the same as having your own place.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e a private organization, so we鈥檙e flexible and can deploy to wherever we鈥檙e needed fast. Every minute is precious in the search for earthquake victims,鈥� says Hodapp, who has served as a volunteer firefighter in his hometown for more than 20 years and joined @fire 12 years ago to use his skills to help save lives abroad, too.

After just a few hours鈥� preparation, the first @fire team 鈥� 17 emergency responders and two search dogs 鈥� flew from Germany via Istanbul to Adana in southern T眉rkiye. As one of the first international response teams to arrive, they began by helping install the UN reception and departure counter at the airport for rescuers flying in from around the world. After that, they set off on a six-hour drive across the mountains to the city of Kahramanmara艧 (or Mara艧) in southern Anatolia. The Turkish authorities provided them with vans and drivers for the journey.

The Hazardous Search for Survivors

On arrival in Mara艧, part of the team began setting up a base camp for the rescuers, while others immediately joined the search for survivors beneath the rubble. They spoke with local residents and with other rescue teams to assess where there might be hope of finding people alive. Because the earthquake hit during the night, most of the victims were trapped in the ruins of apartment buildings.

Once the team had established where to begin looking, the dog handlers moved in with their specially trained rescue dogs, which can search large areas of debris relatively quickly. 鈥淭he dogs have learned to bark only when they pick up the scent of people who are still alive,鈥� explains Hodapp. When the dog gives a bark alert, the rescuers bring in audio equipment to listen for shouts and tapping sounds. They also use tiny telescope cameras that they can push through holes and cracks to find victims.

When the rescuers locate a survivor, their stress levels rise as they feel the burden of responsibility to do everything they can to get the person out alive. They use a variety of tools, including concrete breakers and drills, to break through areas of damaged buildings that have become inaccessible 鈥� often putting their own lives at risk. 鈥淲e have structural engineers on our team who can tell us whether collapsed buildings are at risk of collapsing further,鈥� says Hodapp. And throughout the rescue mission, specially trained team members provide as much medical care for trapped victims as they can in these difficult conditions.

Hodapp tells us of one very lengthy operation to reach two people who had been on the first floor of an apartment building when the earthquake struck. The rescuers used an excavator and other equipment to access the building through the basement and then worked their way up bit by bit to the trapped victims.

Grueling Rescue Efforts

The team pulled five people from the rubble over the seven days it was in action. One particular rescue was especially emotional for Hodapp, who has a two-year-old daughter himself. 鈥淲e were trying to free a mother and her six-year-old daughter. And finally, after 20 hours, we got them out,鈥� he explains. 鈥淣o words can describe the relief and joy we felt in that moment. But there鈥檚 little time for these emotions because we have to move on to the next rescue. And that鈥檚 why this work is so grueling.鈥� In the first evening they were there, the team members rescued four people. Two days later, they managed to free a 15-year-old girl.

Hodapp and the team spent one week in Mara艧: 鈥淭he chances of finding someone alive seven days after an earthquake is very small 鈥� especially in such bitterly cold temperatures, which are partly below freezing, especially at night,鈥� he says. Hodapp is reassured by the fact that several international teams have stayed behind to complete the final search and rescue operations. Having liaised with the United Nations Disaster and Coordination (UNDAC) organization, @fire stood down on Saturday evening.

The team headed back to Germany on Sunday morning. Hodapp says: 鈥淒ramatic situations like these remind us of how fortunate we are. I鈥檓 humbled and grateful to be able to return to my family and to a house that is safe. The people affected by the earthquake face months or perhaps even years of adversity.鈥�

Life Lessons from Relief Work

At 麻豆原创, Hodapp manages the local IT organization for 麻豆原创鈥檚 regional offices in Germany and the IT Event Services unit for EMEA. 鈥淚鈥檓 lucky to have a team that is willing to cover for me at short notice and a manager who lets me take time off so I can join disaster relief missions,鈥� he says.

He explains how his training as a rescuer and the deployments he has been on have changed his outlook on life and his approach to his job: 鈥淩elief work has taught me to keep calm under pressure 鈥� and to first decide how best to deal with a situation and then to act decisively. These are skills that help me at 麻豆原创, too.鈥�

Hodapp also relates how teaming up with rescuers from across the world has helped him improve his ability to communicate and work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. It has taught him that success takes teamwork, cooperation, and flexibility. Understanding this helps him perform better as a leader at 麻豆原创.

As one of @fire鈥檚 directors, Hodapp devotes much of his spare time and energy to the organization. Doing so also gives him so much back in return. To anyone who is wondering whether to become a volunteer for an organization, he says: 鈥淚t is such a great feeling to do something for the community and make a difference. Just try it 鈥� I鈥檓 sure you鈥檒l find it as rewarding as I do.鈥�

Top photo courtesy of @fire

Martin however had more than a dream to compete. She had a mindset.

Focus on Outcomes

One shot at a time: This is the mindset that has enabled Martin to maintain resilience and stamina during the most demanding moments on the golf course and in her career. She says the key is 鈥渇ocusing in on what you want that next shot to be.鈥� It鈥檚 a technique she learned from legendary sports psychologist , who explained how to channel adrenaline to stay focused in the present and not get distracted by missed shots.

鈥淚t all comes down to knowing what you can control,鈥� Martin says. 鈥淎nd really focusing in on what you want that outcome to be. Then ultimately getting to that end result or that goal you want to achieve.鈥�

Martin carries this mindset over to her career as an account executive at 麻豆原创, where she is responsible for managing customer relationships. 鈥淚 really enjoy talking with customers to understand their needs and how we can help provide the best solution,鈥� says Martin, who joined 麻豆原创 in March 2020 as a presales solution advisor. 鈥淚 love working with my manager and the team to solve complex business problems. Ultimately, it鈥檚 just a great company.鈥�

That Ping Golf Ball

Growing up in New Hampshire, Martin regularly joined her father, an avid golfer and retired manufacturer鈥檚 representative, for rounds on the golf course. While she enjoyed many other sports, something about golf really inspired her. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a great environment,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great thing to do. It keeps me active. It keeps me social and, yeah, it鈥檚 a lot fun.鈥�

To this day, she carries the first golf ball ever given to her: a yellow and orange Ping golf ball. Though the company long ago ceased production of its popular golf balls, Martin says, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 always in my golf bag, just as a reminder of when I started.鈥�

You Only Get One Shot

In high school, Martin earned the distinction of becoming the first female player on the school鈥檚 varsity golf team. 鈥淚 wanted to be a member of a team in high school,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚 loved being able to lead the path to be the first.鈥�

Though she acknowledges that there can be a stigma attached to female golfers, she says she was fortunate in having the support of the other team members. 鈥淎gain, I think it goes back to what you can control. I really focused in on being able to play well and show that I belonged there. I think the guys on my team rallied around that. It was a lot of fun,鈥� she says. During her junior and senior years, she was chosen as team captain. 鈥淭hey knew I could represent and really focus in on what we needed to do to perform and be that piece of the puzzle to help the team overall.鈥� With her leadership, they won the New Hampshire state high school championship for boys, girls, and team in 2007.

Martin was recruited to play on the golf team at the , where she maintained the lowest-scoring for the women鈥檚 golf team until 2022. The highlight of her senior year was playing in the Wendy鈥檚 Invitational in Charleston, South Carolina, in October 2012. Arriving a few days early for the tournament, she played on the iconic Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, ranked #4 among U.S. public golf courses and known for its stunning ocean views and unsparing wind conditions.

鈥淚 always wanted to play the Ocean Course. Everybody knew it was something I wanted to do.鈥� She was grateful for that extraordinary opportunity. Her team went on to win the tournament and Martin won the individual competition. 鈥淚t was a very special few days,鈥� she says.

In college, Martin refined her warm-up routine to get into a focused 鈥測ou only get one shot鈥� mindset for tournament play. She still applies these methods. She hits the same irons for 20-30 minutes, then a few with a fairway wood, and ends with the driver. She then wraps up her preparation on the putting green. Her secret: 鈥淚 typically only use one ball when practicing putting,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y college coach said, you only get one shot on the golf course. So, why would you bring three different golf balls to practice with on the putting green?鈥�

Firing a 68 for Women鈥檚 Sports

As a professional with a full-time job at 麻豆原创, Martin makes it to the golf course three to four times a week, whether for nine holes, 18 holes, or practice. She optimizes the short New England golf season by playing 60-75 rounds a year, including off-season trips to sunnier locations. In the 2020 season, she set a new women鈥檚 course record at the , where she is a member, from the red tees.

She says she鈥檚 excited about the technologies that are gaining popularity in the sport, like yardage range finders and GPS. 鈥淭he control that you can get over the ball has really changed exponentially,鈥� she says, citing new analytics software programs that are vastly helping players improve their play in ways that were not possible in the past. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really changed the game.鈥�

In July 2021, Martin won the , in Lowell, Massachusetts. The annual charity event raises money for women鈥檚 sports and high school girls to receive scholarships for college. As announced on , Martin 鈥渇ired a smooth 68鈥� with 3-under to win the event on her first attempt. In her , she thanks the crowd鈥檚 enthusiasm and excellent course conditions, saying, 鈥淚t was an awesome experience!鈥�

麻豆原创鈥檚 Support for Bringing Her Whole Self to Work

Many golf events and tournaments take place during the week, which is a challenge for Martin, who says she needs to be very selective about which events she will dedicate time to as a player. The annual USGA Mid-Amateur Championship topped her list. 鈥淭his was something I set as a goal with my manager at the beginning of the year: to make the Mid-Amateur. I wanted to get back into that highest level of competition, which I hadn鈥檛 been able to really do since college,鈥� Martin says.

Her manager, Billy Baker, 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors vice president, East, understood that Martin鈥檚 passion for golf is an important part of her whole self as an 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors employee. To require her to suppress that part of herself on the job would result in unhappiness and frustration for Martin 鈥� and a likely loss of valuable productivity for 麻豆原创. Martin is very grateful for Baker鈥檚 encouragement. 鈥淗e was extremely supportive and very adamant that we need to follow our passions so that we can succeed not only at work but also in our personal lives.鈥�

鈥淭racy鈥檚 passion for competitive golf is an important part of her life,鈥� says Baker. 鈥淚t is beneficial for employees to have outlets outside of the workplace to provide additional fulfillment and happiness. Tracy applies the energy and mindset she gains on the course to her work life. I believe that fulfilled employees will bring their best selves to work.鈥�

Support for Martin鈥檚 dream to play in the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship did not end with Baker. Greg Healy, 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors regional vice president, East, also extended his backing for Martin to achieve her personal goal while managing her 麻豆原创 career. In fact, Martin鈥檚 entire team has been enthusiastically following the developments of her tournament play and qualification matches.

鈥淏ringing one鈥檚 whole self to work is not just a tag line for our team. It is something we embrace and encourage,鈥� says Healy. 鈥淭racy鈥檚 leadership, execution, and attention to detail help her excel in her job and create raving fans with her customers. These traits also allow her to execute at a high level in one of the world鈥檚 most difficult sports. To say I am proud of Tracy is an understatement and we are lucky to have her as a part of our team.鈥�

鈥淚 have an amazing support system from family, work, and friends and they just really inspire me to make sure I can play the best golf I can,鈥� Martin says. 鈥淚 feel like I can be myself at work and on the golf course. It鈥檚 been an amazing couple of years being at 麻豆原创 and just receiving that support throughout the entire time I鈥檝e been here.鈥�

One Shot at a Time

As Martin leans in to 2023, she looks forward to helping 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors customers achieve their business goals with the right support and resources. 鈥淚 love the part of my job that allows me to really help people and identifying what their needs are. I鈥檝e had nothing but great experiences with my customers,鈥� she says.

Martin says that golf has taught her a great deal about human potential and resilience. 鈥淕olf is very difficult because you never know what you鈥檙e going to get on any given day,鈥� she says, noting that you never really have the same shot twice. 鈥淵ou have to have the tenacity and the ability to put a round behind you and come out the next day and really just focus on that round. I think it鈥檚 something that people who play golf can understand.鈥�

Having relished the honor to compete this year at the USGA Women鈥檚 Mid-Amateur Championship, Martin was through her rounds and returned safely back home to New England well before the arrival of Hurricane Ian. Next year, she will attempt to qualify again. True to form, she鈥檒l take it one shot at a time.

To be perfectly clear, as a senior developer at 麻豆原创, Wahlig doesn鈥檛 oppose technological advances. But when he sees value in something, he holds onto it and improves it. He applies this principle to many things in his life, but it鈥檚 perhaps most evident in his vintage glider. Together, Wahlig and his LS-3 鈥淣ovember Sierra鈥� glider consistently finish ahead when competing against the best pilots and planes in the world.

Click the button below to load the content from YouTube.

Always allow YouTube

Video by Natalie Hauck, Alexander Janusche, and Matteo Rogolino

If he weren鈥檛 so successful, the German pilot with long hair could conjure memories of Bj枚rn Borg鈥檚 attempted tennis comeback with a wooden racket against carbon in 1991. But Wahlig pulls it off without a trace of bravado. In June, he in the Racing Class competition at the German National Championships in Zwickau, Germany, also placing first on the fastest day of racing.

For Wahlig, the joy of flying is the ultimate goal. Pilots at the German nationals applauded his gliding mastery. Because, in addition to his flying skills, he is revered among the gliding community for his quiet nature, sportsmanship, and calmness under pressure.

Optimizing Everything

Wahlig鈥檚 calm demeanor belies a burning passion for the sport of competitive gliding and an unabating lifelong drive to optimize everything about himself and his plane. He leaves nothing to chance in preparing for competitions, meticulously studying the geography and climatic conditions wherever he flies. There is a myriad of variables in the course of a flight that a pilot needs to consider, and he knows them all. 鈥淵ou always keep an eye on the clouds and the ground to have an idea where the thermals come from, and you need to be optimizing everything during the competition,鈥� Wahlig says.

His passion to optimize everything stems from his experiences building and flying model airplanes as a boy. What began with launching paper airplanes from the second story window of his grandmother鈥檚 house into the neighbor鈥檚 yard continued with the construction of his first model gliders of balsa wood. 鈥淢y father wasn鈥檛 impressed with my initial models, but with time they got better and better,鈥� he says today.

Soon, Wahlig was testing and refining his model planes with his friends at the in Bensheim, Germany. At 17 he earned his glider pilot rating and at 19 he already won his first national youth gliding competition. He was always finding new ways to improve his flying skills with the club鈥檚 planes, which at the time were made mostly of wood. All along his path to becoming world champion, he was intuitively applying 鈥�,鈥� a widely recognized software development approach whereby incremental changes are made that add immediate value for end-users.

As a software engineer at 麻豆原创, Wahlig is detail-oriented and accustomed to applying the latest technology to test and optimize the operation of business software for hundreds of thousands of business customers worldwide. 鈥淚 apply the same focus I have during gliding competitions to my work improving software solutions,鈥� he says. By taking advantage of 麻豆原创鈥檚 flexible working policy, the glider pilot has been able to hone his skills and compete at competitions across Europe and beyond.

The Sky Is Not the Limit

Wahlig is constantly pushing the limits of himself and his LS-3. Improvements he has made to the plane鈥檚 flight characteristics and instrumentation have helped him achieve the maximum possible performance for the vintage glider. For example, he added winglets and installed bug wipers to reduce drag and maximize the gliding ratio, and he recently installed the latest instrumentation for navigating and locating the maximum lift in thermals. 鈥淎 good plane and good pilot are important, but to reach the last two percent of performance, you need good instruments,鈥� says Wahlig.

At the German nationals in Zwickau, Wahlig knew he wouldn鈥檛 stand much of a chance against modern gliders on days with very strong thermals. But competitions are conducted under varying weather conditions, so a day with weak thermals or changing conditions could benefit a lighter plane like his LS-3.

Several challenging flying days played into the gliding champion鈥檚 strategy, and by keeping a cool head and waiting for the best opportunities he was able to maintain consistently good results throughout. Flights can be up to five hours long in the same position 鈥� half sitting and half lying, so he practices yoga to relax between flights. 鈥淭his brings you back to the ground when you are in the air so long,鈥� Wahlig says. The added flexibility in his neck and shoulders also affords him a nearly 360-degree view from the cockpit.

鈥淧reparation, consistency, and simply the avoidance of stupid mistakes are often more important than the plane you are flying,鈥� he says. He鈥檚 convinced that recent competitions have helped him better understand the limits and strengths of his 45-year-old glider. 鈥淚 have a lot of new ideas and have recently made a lot of improvements in the way I fly,鈥� says Wahlig without mentioning any trade secrets.

Wahlig is now preparing for the next competitions to help him defend his No. 1 ranking at the in Australia. There, you can be sure that he will be flying his trusty LS-3 along the fastest route from thermal to thermal. Because for Wahlig, the sky is not the limit.

The little things 鈥� like enjoying a “staycation” with my family that reminded me of my childhood and virtual happy hours and birthday parties 鈥� have really made all the difference in cultivating resiliency and keeping perspective. It really does come down to the people around you, whose random acts of selflessness and kindness are true forces of good.

The 麻豆原创 community has always been a powerful source of inspiration for me. There are so many remarkable individuals that make 麻豆原创 such a special place to work and are taking personal initiative to make an outsized impact. I wanted to shine a light on these stories and share the inspiration they give me, which is why I am excited to present this new series: Passion for Purpose.

Passion for Purpose is a virtual conversation series where I鈥檒l speak with 麻豆原创 employees from across the globe who have gone above and beyond in their communities to make a difference for others. These are heroes that work among us, dedicating their time, resources, and expertise to give back when the world needs it most. In these conversations, you鈥檒l hear about their journeys, how they are living their purpose, and the lessons they have learned along the way. They are a beautiful reminder that goodness will always prevail.

I invite you to join me for a weekly dose of positivity and inspiration, brought to you from the “Super Awesome People” that make up 麻豆原创. Episodes will be posted weekly on Wednesdays, so follow along at or follow me on Twitter: .

Check out our first episode, featuring Dmitry Melnik, who not only serves as a global vice president on the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA team, but also spends his holidays and weekends working as a registered nurse. Visit .

Alicia Tillman is global chief marketing officer of 麻豆原创.

Jonathan Fogarty, industry business architect for 麻豆原创 Australia, has a rather unique hobby. He works as a sports commentator in his spare time. His first major assignment was at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney at the Bondi Beach Volleyball Stadium.

He describes the experience of commentating at such a huge event quite simply: 鈥渢errifying.鈥�

Despite his nerves, Jonathan won plaudits and went on to commentate at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and Beijing in 2008, as well as at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, and at the Cricket World Cup in 2015. He is currently the stadium announcer for the Australian national rugby league team, the Gold Coast Titans.

Success Takes Many Forms

Jonathan has watched the world鈥檚 sporting elite in action many times, but he also likes to look at the stories behind the high-visibility triumphs.

鈥淲e love sport because it inspires us and brings out the best in people across cultures and nations, which is great,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut for me, the things that are more exciting or actually move me are where people have achieved things that maybe you and I don’t consider.鈥� He enjoys witnessing small, quiet successes.

鈥淭here are lots of men and women taking part in sporting events who have had to endure all manner of setbacks, defeats, and injuries,鈥� he explains. 鈥淏eing able to compete at a given moment in front of their friends and families is a journey of such a vast effort that we never really appreciate. Success and accomplishments can take many forms.鈥�

Failures: Just 鈥淧otholes in the Road鈥�

Jonathan also moderates events at 麻豆原创, such as the Business Women鈥檚 Network and 麻豆原创 Field Kick-Off Meetings. Many of the qualities he needs as a sports commentator benefit him in his day job as well. Standing up in front of customers or a large audience and being able to speak calmly, convincingly, and authentically are valuable skills in his presales role, as is the ability to think quickly under pressure and have a good answer at the ready.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 always avoid moments when things don鈥檛 go to plan,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut if you have the chance to build up lasting trust, credibility, and a connection with a customer, then those moments are just potholes in the road and you carry on going regardless.鈥�

Sports Commentating as a Career

Jonathan is often asked why he doesn鈥檛 choose to devote all his time to his hobby and to the exciting life it brings with it. But he values both aspects of his life, and he loves working for 麻豆原创.

鈥淔or me, the people at 麻豆原创 are truly inspiring. They鈥檙e multi-dimensional, they have lots of different interests and passions and they鈥檙e highly diverse and versatile. That鈥檚 what keeps me coming me back to 麻豆原创 and the reason I am so happy here.鈥�

Jonathan鈥檚 hobby is a time-consuming one and it is not always easy for him to fit it around a full-time position at 麻豆原创. So there are times when it has to take a back seat, or when he has to take vacation to accept a commentating assignment, or work on other things at night.

Because, to be a good commentator, he says, you must invest sufficient time, care, attention, and preparation 鈥� whether you鈥檙e commentating at the Olympic Games or holding a presales presentation. 麻豆原创 has always been highly supportive in allowing him to do all these things, he says.

Top Tips for Commentating

Jonathan鈥檚 approach is always the same, whether commentating on sport or hosting a business event. He sees his role as creating the context for his audience and keeping them focused on the matter at hand. But he stays very much in the background. Modesty is a key quality for a good commentator, he says, and it is important to respect the audience and their time; that is, to make sure everyone feels involved in what is happening and to keep to the schedule.

It is also about showing enthusiasm without allowing yourself to be overcome by your own emotions. He grins as he recalls a situation during the 2000 Olympic Games, when he interviewed one of his childhood heroines, swimmer Dawn Fraser. 鈥淚 finished the interview by bursting into tears and she gave me a big hug 鈥� with 10,000 people watching on a giant screen.鈥�

So, what is Jonathan鈥檚 No. 1 tip for holding a presentation?

鈥淧ersonally, I think there鈥檚 nothing more powerful than a smile,鈥� he shares. 鈥淵ou should always start with a smile, whether you鈥檙e commentating an event or opening a meeting. It makes no difference if it鈥檚 your face or just your voice that鈥檚 broadcast. When the producer says, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e live in three, two, one鈥�,鈥� the first thing you do is take a deep breath and smile, even if no one can see you doing it. They can hear you smiling.鈥�

If you know about a subject, feel comfortable with it, and are passionate about it, that shines through, says Jonathan Fogarty. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about throwing your hands in the air and dancing on the stage. It鈥檚 about speaking from the heart, with integrity and a smile on your face.鈥�

Read more stories about 麻豆原创 employees.

Growing up by the beach on Long Island, New York, Zarcone has loved wildlife and the coast from an early age. Seven years ago, she bought her first home and moved to the New Jersey shore. Hurricane Sandy then tore through the state and left almost 8 million people without power, sent communities into states of emergency, and, for the first time since 1888, forced the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to remain closed for several consecutive days due to weather.

After a storm like that, Zarcone says, 鈥淵ou are very aware of the power of the ocean and the vulnerability of the coastal region.鈥�

Long before the hurricane, she had made volunteering an integral part of her life, with a firm belief in the saying, 鈥淵ou make a living by what you do but you make a life by what you give.鈥� Her experience growing up by the coast and with Hurricane Sandy made it clear that volunteering for the health of the coastline would be a fantastic fit 鈥� a natural way to give back even more.

Zarcone originally moved to the New Jersey shore with the dream of becoming an oyster farmer and got her shellfish husbandry certification. She found organizations in her area that did oyster restoration research and started connecting. In 2015, Zarcone saw a Facebook post from Joe Reynolds, chair of the Bayshore Watershed Council, who was looking for a seining partner for its annual Seine the Bay event. After reaching out and spending the day going up and down the Raritan Bay seining, they became fast friends. Zarcone agreed to join him for horseshoe crab monitoring and started going to council meetings.

Zarcone and a core group from the council then decided they would start a non-profit organization to do more, and formed the board of directors for Save Coastal Wildlife last March. They saw a need for a non-profit that could, as she puts it, 鈥淪peak for the actual wildlife and educate people along the coast about how to fish with respect and gratitude for the environment.鈥�

Research and education regarding the coastline are needed because, as Zarcone points out, 鈥淔or thousands of years people have fished to eat, but there is a balance that鈥檚 needed. We have tipped the scale in the wrong direction and this is affecting the wildlife, the entire ecosystem, our waterways, and all of us.鈥�

Horseshoe crabs provide a shocking example of the situation, thanks to research by Save Coastal Wildlife. Eel fisherman use the crabs as bait, and since females are fattier, larger animals, fishermen target them excessively. As one of the oldest animals on the planet 鈥� traced back through geologic record to around 445 million years ago, 200 million years before dinosaurs existed 鈥� stark changes in the horseshoe crab population will have consequences on other organisms that have grown dependent on the crabs and their eggs over millions of years.

On these stark changes, Zarcone shares, 鈥淥n a single night we鈥檒l pull hundreds of horseshoe crabs out of the water and there will be one female for every 50 males.鈥� Although she notices the negative environmental changes and uses it as motivation for her non-profit鈥檚 initiatives, she also takes time to enjoy her experiences and draw inspiration from the beauty of the nature around her. 鈥淲hen you live inside a laptop, being able to unplug and pluck something right out of the water and say, 鈥楲ook at this!鈥� is incredibly satisfying. It鈥檚 so important to be in touch with wildlife.鈥�

When asked about how 麻豆原创 measures up as far as enabling and supporting her, Zarcone feels extraordinarily fortunate. 鈥淎t another company, I might not feel comfortable starting a non-profit because they might view it as distracting me from my work. But at 麻豆原创, I felt empowered and supported to volunteer and start Save Coastal Wildlife. Knowing it鈥檚 something I can openly do is awesome, because 麻豆原创 knows it makes me a happier and more productive employee.鈥�

When you have a passion for volunteering, the positive side effects are numerous as Zarcone finds her work with Save Coastal Wildlife and 麻豆原创 benefit from each other. After plucking horseshoe crabs out of the bay, 鈥淚 come back to work refreshed, knowing I have a full life giving back to something I鈥檓 passionate about. It gives me a better perspective every day.鈥� Since she is also the only communications-oriented person on her non-profit team, she draws on her professional experience when writing grants, press releases, and social media content for Save Coastal Wildlife as its communications lead and secretary.

With more than a year under their belt, Save Coastal Wildlife and Zarcone are committed to continuing the interesting and impactful education and research on coastal wildlife. If you ever look out onto the New York Harbor or Jersey Shore under a full moon and see someone plucking horseshoe crabs out of the water, tagging them while they are trying to mate 鈥� which they don鈥檛 always appreciate 鈥� relax. It鈥檚 just Zarcone having a blast saving our coasts, one horseshoe crab at a time.