Career Path at BREDEX: From Studying Business Law to Becoming a Compliance Consultant

Question:

Hey Sophie, could you tell us how you became a data compliance/data protection consultant at BREDEX?

Sophie’s answer:

Of course, I studied business law in Rostock and discovered that I enjoy dealing with legal issues independently. During my master’s degree, I increasingly specialized in data protection. I was fascinated by this subject area because of the numerous myths and uncertainties surrounding it. I found this challenge very exciting.

Question:

What particularly interested you in working in the areas of data protection and compliance?

Sophie’s answer:

I am particularly fascinated by the relevance of legal aspects in everyday business life. It is a very dynamic field. There are always new technologies, laws, and court rulings that need to be implemented, such as the Whistleblower Protection Act, AI Act, Cyber Resilience Act, DORA, etc. This means that new fields have to be integrated into consulting all the time, which makes my everyday work very varied.

Question:

What made you decide to pursue a career at BREDEX?

Sophie’s answer:

After completing my studies, I had accumulated a lot of theoretical knowledge, but I lacked practical experience in consulting. I then looked for an opportunity to gain step-by-step insights into everyday work and develop the necessary skills without any pressure to perform. BREDEX’s offer for a trainee position in data protection and information security covered everything I wanted to learn. This included, for example, independently advising customers on site or online, processing customer inquiries, analyzing data processing procedures, designing legally compliant forms/documents, and conducting training courses. From the very beginning, I was able to observe my various colleagues and learn about their different consulting styles in the area of data protection, until I was eventually ready to try it out for myself.

Question:

What did you particularly like about BREDEX when you started here?

Sophie’s answer:

I felt very comfortable right from the start and was warmly welcomed into my young-at-heart team. I also felt that I was treated as an equal from the outset and was allowed to contribute my own ideas early on. This gave me the opportunity to play a key role in the development of a new consulting concept in the area of whistleblower protection law.

In addition, due to my master’s thesis, I was particularly interested in the data protection-compliant use of artificial intelligence from the very beginning. As this topic also plays a role at BREDEX, I was able to gain more insight into this complex topic through various training courses and thus help develop practical solutions for the data protection-compliant use of AI in working groups. This trust and the open error culture provided optimal learning conditions for my trainee period.

Something else that struck me as a young professional was the fact that BREDEX has been co-managed by a woman since 2020. I also find it inspiring that our team leader in the Compliance and IT Security department, Ron and Janine, is also a woman. This shows me that women here have the opportunity to be successful at all levels and that equality is not only stated as a corporate goal, but is actively practiced from the top down.

Question:

What advice would you give to young women planning to start a career in consulting?

Sophie’s answer:

My recommendation would be not to be deterred by challenges. During my first days in consulting, I often thought to myself, “How will I ever be able to do this?” All the new tasks and skills seemed endless to me. After a year of trainee training, I can say that the mountain of new knowledge eventually becomes more manageable and that the whole journey has been worth it.