AS A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT, MATTHIAS PRAMMER SURFS THE WAVES OF CHANGE. INSTEAD OF DRIVING, HE ONLY ATTENDS APPOINTMENTS BY BIKE, COVERING 2,500 KILOMETERS A YEAR.
For many, management consultants smack of change, and company bosses often shy away from them just as much as employees. The idea of being bombarded with Excel spreadsheets, reports and analyses adds to this. But there is another way," says Matthias Prammer, 49, who runs the management consultancy Die Umsetzer together with Cornelia Steven, 41. "We offer tailor-made solutions with common sense to ensure sustainable competitive advantages." Founded in 2009, the company specializes in the core areas of organizational development, sales optimization, project and change management and leadership.
Digitalization and sustainability are major trend topics that need to be addressed. "There are waves of change approaching our working world. The question is: am I standing on the beach and afraid or am I surfing the wave? It's important for us to surf the waves of change well." Prammer likes to speak in pictures, but above all in simple language to get people on board: "Communicating complex messages only via slides or in convoluted verbal language only puts people off." The tactic seems to be working. Since its launch the company's turnover has consistently increased by 30 percent every year.
For the third time in a row, Die Umsetzer has been awarded the "Austria's Leading Companies" business prize for its achievements. Over the years, the focus has shifted towards large-scale projects and the support of complex customer systems. Customers include companies such as voestalpine, Siemens AG, A1 Telekom and the retail giant Rewe.
Prammer also pursues the approach of motivating and involving employees in his own company. "I find it easier to establish a community of values if I bind the employees to my company, albeit with all the horrors of employment law," he says with a laugh. To do justice to sustainability, every senior consultant is given a bicycle. "We've always been the eco-socks among the consultants," says Prammer, who has been riding his two-wheeler to his clients for 15 years. Initially he was looked at askance, but today everyone has gotten used to it. "I'm not a professional cyclist, but it gets me moving every day and reduces my carbon footprint." The amateur athlete covers a good 2,500 kilometers a year on his bike. "I save money, I'm fast and the biggest advantage is that my routes are totally predictable. I can also clear my head while cycling."
Prammer has a few tips for those who are considering switching to a bike: buy a bike that you enjoy riding. Comfortable and weatherproof clothing is a must, especially a large helmet with space for a hood underneath in winter. The most important thing: a high-quality carbon lock. Even if he "looks like a Chinese messenger driver" with his baskets, Prammer enjoys cycling and contributes to sustainability. It goes without saying that he offsets the kilometers he travels by car and plane with CO2 certificates.
Interview by Gabriele Schnabel, publication print run from 28.01.2022 in trend PREMIUM magazine