Behind the scenes
«I’m respected here and can be myself»
by Seraina Cadonau
Luise Dalhoff on error culture, fashion and family
19.5.2022
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Daniel Borchers
Galaxus Germany continues to grow. Category Management is responsible for ensuring that we always have an attractive range of products. Luise Dalhoff and her team are driving the «Lifestyle» category forward. I wanted to know what’s behind her job title, what she’s passionate about, and how she balances her job and family life.
Luise, you lead the Lifestyle Category Management division – what does this title entail?
My job is to drive the Sport & Fashion, Beauty & Health and Baby & Toys divisions for the European market. We’re a small team here in Hamburg, drawing on resources in Switzerland. This makes us hybrid, we work very closely together across countries. I try to connect teams, find synergies and see where we can make adjustments to get the best possible result.
What does this look like concretely during everyday work?
I always start my day the same way, by finding out what happened. Did a mishap or something interesting happen? For example, we sold 200 limited edition Barbies in one day. I actually do this to identify outliers or to give praise. Three times a week we have a team check-in where we chat and strengthen our team spirit. Otherwise, various meetings follow, where we exchange information, discuss new projects or locate problems. I’m also involved in negotiations with partners for the Galaxus EU store. Currently, we’re incredibly busy with the development and expansion of our division, so I invest a lot of time in recruiting to find great people.
Sounds varied. What challenges are you facing?
As a small team, we’re like David when we go into talks with potential partners, Goliaths in each case. This requires a great deal of persuasion and negotiating skills, as well as our Galaxus spirit, which we also want to convey externally. In addition, there’s our larger Swiss mother and considerable growth figures behind us, both attracting more and more attention. On the one hand, that’s cool to see, but on the other hand, being considered an underdog is one of the biggest challenges.
I heard that you previously worked in Zurich. How did it come about and how did you become aware of Digitec Galaxus?
I went to Zurich with my boyfriend because he was drawn to Switzerland for work. I first became a mum and then looked for a job. I’m originally from the retail sector and have gained different experiences at the Otto Group and in cooperation with Amazon. So it was clear to me that I would return to e-commerce after my maternity leave. But in Switzerland I realised that Amazon, as I know it in Germany, doesn’t exist. Our Swiss friends then said: «We have Digitec Galaxus.» I took a look at Digitec Galaxus, and it immediately became clear: this is the place to be, 100 per cent! When a suitable position was advertised, I applied immediately – and fortunately it worked out.
And how come you’re now in Hamburg?
I started in Zurich in April 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. Since then, I changed jobs internally every six months. Starting in the Fashion department, where I was responsible for purchasing. Then I took on a new challenge, and moved to Portfolio Development within the division. There I integrated new partners and expanded the marketplace. I was then promoted to my current position and returned to Hamburg in the course of this job. It was a win-win situation for me: I was able to return to my hometown and seize an insane opportunity professionally.
We aren’t showy, just honest, loud and different.
What amazed you the most at Galaxus?
Galaxus possesses many advantages and a mentality that I underestimated: the personal, the edgy character and the practised error culture. When something goes wrong, something goes wrong. We aren’t showy, but we’re honest, loud and different. Both Swiss and Hanseatic (laughs). I think all of that is very cool.
Are you into lifestyle topics not related to your job?
I’m passionate for fashion and am actually a fourth-generation fashionista, my great-grandfather already had a sewing factory – I was sort of born into it. And I must confess: most of my employee discounts so far have been in fashion, which actually shows that I personally have a great affinity for it (laughs). In general, I’m definitely a lifestyle enthusiast: I’m very much into beauty topics and I love to do sports. Plus, I think it’s cool to look into the Baby & Toys category. My daughter will be surprised at what I know (laughs).
I firmly believe that happy mums have happy kids.
How do you balance out your job?
I’ve got a kid, so my private schedule is already pretty full (laughs). As a family, we love taking trips in our camper van. When we lived in Switzerland, we went to the mountains almost every weekend, either to ski or hike, depending on the season. Here in Hamburg we need to find a place to go in our camping van, maybe change to mudflats (laughs).
You say that with a kid, your schedule is pretty full. Do you find it difficult to balance family life with your job?
I never felt like I couldn’t do my child justice by working at Galaxus. I work full time at full power because I enjoy what I do enormously. I’m a rock solid believer that happy mums have happy kids. I’ve always received enough trust, flexibility and understanding from Galaxus as an employer to organise my private life. For example, we too had to go through the odd quarantine during the pandemic – a child on your lap or Peppa Pig music in the background was never a problem. Or finishing work early on certain days to pick up my daughter from daycare and work longer on other days – I really appreciate that. I think it’s good to be able to adjust your workload to your circumstances and to be able to take on a management position even with a 4-day week.
Thank you for your time and exciting insights.
Seraina Cadonau
Communications Manager
Seraina.Cadonau@digitecgalaxus.chHappy nature and big fan of the mountains.
