Dr Stefanie Lukner
2016 Accounting, Finance and Strategic Management MSc graduate Stefanie is Head of Digital Products and Drinktech at Waterdrop, based in Vienna.
Since graduating, what have you gone on to do?
I started as a consultant with McKinsey Digital in Berlin, Germany where I worked for over four and half years on a variety of projects in the fields of consumer goods and healthcare. I have now moved to Watesdrop as their Senior Strategy Manager.
I was also on educational leave pursuing my PhD in Marketing, Consumer Behaviour at RWTH Aachen, Germany.
Is this what you planned to do before starting university?
Before starting my postgraduate degree, I thought that I would want to work in a start-up after graduation.
However, I came across the opportunity to do an internship at the strategy consultancy McKinsey and Company. I ended up really enjoying the type of work, the cutting-edge topics and the smart and interesting people that I could work with and decided to work here full time.
Were you involved in any other extra curricular activities or societies during your time at Newcastle University?
I was rather focused on my studies as it was quite an intense course, but I regularly joined the Tennis Society as well as the Entrepreneurship Society.
I also took part in a coding programme called Code First: Girls, that was extremely insightful and helpful for my career at McKinsey Digital as well as my rather quantitative PhD.
How do you see future technologies and new ways of working (Future of Work) affecting your sector?
As I work across industries, I can see that new technologies are affecting pretty much every company that I have been working with.
It is essential for them to understand the changing demands of consumers and how they can best cater to them and understand what they need to provide in terms of working environment to attract and retain talent.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I am not entirely sure what I will do professionally in five years' time, but I would hope to be working on something that I am passionate about, that gives me energy, that has a positive impact on the people around me and beyond – with people that I very much value and love to be around.
"Make the most of your time as a student. Learn beyond what seems useful to your degree and other things that you find enjoyable. Consider career options that might seem far fetched but work towards them and don’t underestimate your abilities."
(The above Q&A was conducted in 2021.)