Between focus time and client meetings – a day in the life of a Manager at zeb

How long have you been at zeb and which area are you working in?

I have been with zeb for over six and a half years now. I started at the Münster office in mid-2019 as an intern and then became a student assistant. After completing my master’s degree, I got a permanent position as a Consultant at zeb in 2022, was promoted to Senior Consultant in 2024, and took the next career step to Manager in July 2025. In October 2023, I switched to the Hamburg office and have been working there ever since.

My professional focus is on IT topics as well as on ECB onboarding and the associated requirements. That’s why I am a member of the “IT Strategy & Architecture” Practice Group and the “ECB Onboarding” Network Group, where I deal with strategic issues pertaining to these topics.

What project are you currently working on?

In my current project, I am helping an institution prepare for an upcoming ECB audit of its lending processes. The focus of the project is on the consistent extraction of data from various source systems and their structured processing in accordance with regulatory requirements. Moreover, I am responsible for identifying potential (data) anomalies at an early stage and deriving suitable measures to ensure that the data is in sufficient quality and that the client is optimally prepared for the audit.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Even though the main focus areas of my work change regularly due to different projects, I try to maintain a consistent daily structure. I usually set aside part of the morning as focus time to work on complex topics in a concentrated manner - ideally without major interruptions. Meetings and coordination sessions, both internal and client-facing, are typically scheduled in the afternoon with minimal buffer times to ensure an efficient workday.

Another key part of my daily routine is acquiring new projects. As a manager, I am primarily responsible for the content management and quality assurance of proposals. I analyze tenders in detail to fully understand the requirements and then develop a tailored proposal based on these insights. Together with the acquisition team, I craft a compelling storyline that is both technically sound and strategically aligned with the potential client. In addition, I review submitted materials and presentations, coordinate necessary adjustments with the team, and decide on the next steps. This way, I ensure that each proposal not only convinces in terms of content but also strengthens zeb’s positioning in the market.

Internal tasks, such as further developing specialized topics or participating in training sessions, are usually scheduled for the early evening hours. Of course, this structure cannot always be maintained, as changing priorities and spontaneous project demands require a certain level of flexibility. Nevertheless, this framework helps me make the most efficient use of my day.

How much do you travel for work? Can you influence how much you have to travel?

I am currently very flexible in terms of my travel activities. On average, I am at the client’s premises for about three days every other week. The exact number of days depends heavily on the client’s preferences and the respective project situation. Usually, at the start of the project the project team and I discuss when I will be at the client’s premises so that everyone involved can adjust their planning accordingly.

Moreover, this approach allows me to indirectly adjust the amount I travel, which in turn makes it easier for me to schedule working days at the Hamburg office. This is very important to me, because it enables me to meet my colleagues in person and exchange ideas.

How do you and your team work together?

As my project team is spread across different offices, we mainly work together remotely. We attach great importance to striking a good balance between fixed regular meetings and direct, spontaneous communication. The inner circle of each project team meets at least once a day – if necessary even more frequently than that, especially if we are working together on a topic or need to coordinate at short notice.

In addition to working together at the client’s premises, our project teams can meet at any of our offices should the need arise. We do this primarily for creative tasks or group discussions, as these are much more effective and dynamic in person than online.