{"id":28034,"date":"2026-03-11T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T09:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/?p=28034"},"modified":"2026-03-12T11:29:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T10:29:06","slug":"performance-alone-is-not-enough-it-needs-visibility-and-networks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/press-and-media\/newsroom\/stories\/performance-alone-is-not-enough-it-needs-visibility-and-networks\/","title":{"rendered":"“Performance alone is not enough. It needs visibility and networks”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wenke, as a woman, you’re successed at REWE digital in a still predominantly male-dominated IT industry. What experiences have you had on your career path? And who or what has been particularly helpful in your professional development?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Wenke Wei\u00dfmann:<\/strong> First of all, I’d like to say that I studied business informatics in a very male-dominated environment \u2013 \u200b\u200bso I’m used to being in the minority as a woman, even though I wish it were different. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my professional life, it’s that performance alone isn’t enough. Visibility and networks are essential. This is a crucial factor that women, in particular, could work on more.<\/p>\n

I’ve been fortunate that my previous bosses \u2013 both women \u2013 were very modern leaders. Just as one would hope, regardless of gender. Kirsten Schlemmer, my first manager at REWE digital \u2013 who asked me about two years ago if I would join her in the newly created Business Transformation department \u2013 \u200b\u200bis always looking at: How am I positioning my employees? What is their next step in their development? How do I make myself visible? It helps enormously when a manager notices you, supports your development, and encourages you. It takes that one “go-ahead,” that encouragement to persevere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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About:<\/h2>

\n Wenke Wei\u00dfmann <\/p>\n\n \n

\n Chief Project Manager at REWE digital <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Even though it really shouldn\u2019t be an issue anymore talking to female leaders, the question of compatibility still comes up in this context: As a mother in a full\u2011time leadership position \u2014 how do you manage it? What personal strategies, professional structures, or work models enable you to combine family and leadership?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Wenke Wei\u00dfmann:<\/strong> I shared this question with my husband in advance. He said: Your answer is clear: you need a strong partner to go along with you.<\/q> And yes, that’s absolutely true. When I started at REWE GROUP in 2016, our children were still very young. In addition to private support, there are three things that I believe are needed to reconcile family and leadership: <\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. 1. c<\/span>larity about one’s priorities;<\/span><\/li>\n
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  3. 2. a leadership culture that values results over presence; <\/span><\/li>\n
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  5. 3. S<\/span>tructural flexibility in working models. <\/span><\/li>\n
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  7. The first point is individual, but the other two can be controlled by the company. In my opinion, the belief that only those who are on site can lead is no longer up to date. A management culture should always be geared primarily towards responsibility for results – not office presence. I don’t need to be physically present every day to empower my team.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I would like to see a more open and modern management culture and models such as part-time management becoming the norm. Just because a woman goes on parental leave and returns part-time shouldn’t be a no-go for management roles. Of course there are organizational challenges – I see that in my team too. But modern working structures actually offer everything we need. If we see ourselves as an open-minded company, this should also be reflected in our working models.<\/span><\/p>\n

    And yes, I agree: we shouldn’t actually be talking about “female leadership”, but about good and contemporary leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Wenke Wei\u00dfmann<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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    Work on your own mindset<\/span>:<\/span> actively use <\/span>network<\/span>es, for example <\/span>f.ernetzt<\/span>, <\/span>be visible, get support. <\/span>Mentoring programs<\/span> like Women’s <\/span>Drive<\/span> are<\/span> important.<\/span> Coaching is a sign of professionalism, not weakness.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/div>\n

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    Wenke Wei\u00dfmann<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    What can executives<\/span>, whether female or male,<\/span> do, to target women for the IT<\/span><\/span>–<\/span><\/span><\/span>Area to win and support in their further development<\/span>?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Wenke Wei\u00dfmann: <\/strong>In my view, women don’t stay away because they can’t do IT or don’t find it sexy. They stay away because certain framework conditions don’t suit their lives. And that’s exactly where senior managers should start. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Managers should recognize potential early on and develop people, not just when they are already performing. We could become even stronger in the promotion of women, for example through talent reviews that look less at the person in the narrower sense and more neutrally at skills and potential. And, here I come back to visibility, through role models: We need more female role models in which women can see themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Read more<\/h2>\n \n <\/div>\n
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      \n \"Two\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n
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      Press release<\/p>\n

      24 September 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

      From the REWE GROUP for customers: toom Baumarkt DIY store and fulfillmenttools lay the foundation for flexible omnichannel services<\/h3>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n
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      \n \"Teaser-Lionel-Souque-und-Bruno-Wenn_Collage\"\n\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n
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      Press release<\/p>\n

      14 September 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

      REWE GROUP Supports Cologne Cultural Fund<\/h3>\n

      Funding model helps the independent arts scene attract federal and EU funding to Cologne<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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      Press release<\/p>\n

      17 August 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

      S&P Reaffirms REWE GROUP’s \u201cBBB\u201d Rating (Outlook Stable)\u00a0<\/h3>\n

      REWE Group remains in a strong financial position and is focused on long-term growth through strategic investments<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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      Story<\/p>\n

      10 August 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

      Winter Vacation: The Waiting Game Is Over<\/h3>\n

      Recently, the number of bookings for the winter season has been picking up significantly again. Half of all bookings made with our tour operators are for long-haul destinations, and flexible travel options and unique experiences are very much in vogue. Here\u2019s an overview of the highlights from the new itineraries<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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      Press release<\/p>\n

      24 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

      Strategic Expansion of Hotel Operations: DERTOUR Group Becomes Sole Owner of DSR Hotel Holding<\/h3>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n
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      Story<\/p>\n

      23 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

      “I’m an optimistic person. I’ve always been that way.”<\/h3>\n

      For Ines Batz of DERTOUR, the effectiveness of her appreciative, positive, and calm leadership style was evident not only during stressful periods at work but also during a personal crisis: Her team naturally stepped in and supported her through that time. From her own career experience, she also knows that no one is perfectly prepared for a leadership position. Her advice to other women: Take it one step at a time\u2014with courage, curiosity, and confidence.<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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      Story<\/p>\n

      22 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

      Sports Bring People Together: Inclusion Right in the Heart of the Neighborhood<\/h3>\n

      What\u2019s it like to play wheelchair basketball? Florian S\u00f6rensen, manager of the sales department, tried it out for himself at the inclusive family sports festival in Berlin-Reinickendorf in early July. A few meters away, European Para-Badminton Champion Rick Hellmann was playing with guests. Fifty meters away, children were climbing a tower made of empty water crates, while at the many other booths, people were discussing the theme of the day: the self-determined participation of people with disabilities in social life.<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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      Story<\/p>\n

      15 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

      CSD 2026: Take a Stand. Embrace Diversity.<\/h3>\n

      Together with our LGBTIQ employee network, DITO, we are once again participating in numerous Christopher Street Days and Pride events this year. For the first time, we\u2019ll have trucks in six German cities, and we\u2019re also supporting numerous regional Pride events as well as initiatives organized by our regional offices and retailers. We are also sending a clear message of diversity at our locations in Austria, Italy, and Slovakia. <\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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      \n Join the discussion on LinkedIn <\/h2>\n
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      Our LinkedIn feed has all the latest information from the REWE GROUP and the sector, with the most important developments from the worlds of retail, e-commerce, food, CSR and policy.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

      \n \n To LinkedIn feed <\/a>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

      \n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      In a male-dominated IT world, the example of REWE digital manager Wenke Wei\u00dfmann shows how women can get ahead – with potential, visibility and good support. A conversation about the importance of superiors, partners and modern working models for women’s career paths. And about the fact that leadership should be one thing regardless of gender: good and contemporary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":27969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"47584,43880,1694,43808,47256,43705","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","nl_adhoc_sent":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"sales_line":[19],"focus_theme":[142],"class_list":["post-28034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company","sales_line-rewe-group","focus_theme-undefined"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28034"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28058,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28034\/revisions\/28058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28034"},{"taxonomy":"sales_line","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sales_line?post=28034"},{"taxonomy":"focus_theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/focus_theme?post=28034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}