people+places: One of us

Heike Auerbach is butting T-Systems North America on the map.

You could almost say Heike Auerbach lives in paradise. Her garden, in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, backs on to the lush green of Starfire Gold Club, a part of Scottsdale Country Club. The Arizona Mountains rise up on the horizon. “I don’t really need to travel anymore,” laughs the 41 year old, multi-lingual manager. “I live where others come for a vacation.”

Heike Auerbach has a sunny disposition that fits in well with her new home in the American south west. “I’ve got the best job in the world,” she says. Originally from Stuttgart, Auerbach has so far spent 12 years overseas. She’s been in Phoenix since the summer. Before that, she spent a year in New York, two in the motor city Detroit and eight in Johannesburg, South Africa. She explains the benefits of her nomadic lifestyle: “My time abroad has been incredibly interesting. I’ve experienced a great deal and got to know many different cultures. My family lives in Germany and I have friends all over the world, but thanks to today’s communications technology, it is easy to stay in touch.”

Living in the suburb of Scottsdale, Phoenix’s golf mecca, does not make Auerbach nostalgic for other places. Quite the contrary: she’s hooked already. Her first impressions: “The people have a laid-back attitude to life, and are easy to get to know. I think I could live here forever.” And she could actually do just that – because after a record time of just nine months, a much sought-after green card arrived in her mail box. “I could stay as long as I like. But who knows where my next task will take me.”

In all her years as an expatriate, Auerbach has not been able to shift her southern-German Swabian accent. Even though she now feels more at home speaking English than her native German, the characteristic sing-song rhythm still chimes through. What’s more, Auerbach has retained the relaxed way of talking also typical of her region. But her laid-back manner should not be misread: this lady means business. For the past year, she has been Managing Director of T-Systems North America, and has doubled as head of finance too. And all at a time when the company was battling to get back into the black. “The entire team put in night shifts and weekends to steer the company back onto the road to success. I didn’t have much time for my beloved trips to the golf course.”

In Auerbach’s job, with its busy schedule, you can’t afford not to tell it like it is. “I take a direct, honest approach to communications,” she says of her management style. “It’s important to tell people where there is room for improvement. But just as important to recognize outstanding achievement. I see myself as a team coach.” And every quarter she meets with the entire management team and informs employees how business is developing. “But communications shouldn’t be one way,” she says. “I want my employees to tell me where they see problems and what they think managers could do better.”

Part two of article