My job at Deka:

Dr. Michaela Hönig has been with Deka since 2008. She is a good example of the compatibility of continuing professional training and pursuing activities outside of Deka. Find out more about her varied everyday life.

My path: Combining studies and career

My current position: Director in the Board of Management’s staff

In 2008, I moved from an international consulting firm to Deka in the Capital Markets division and experienced first-hand the financial market crisis and its impact on Deka and the German Savings Bank Finance Group (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe). I incorporated these experiences into the doctoral thesis I was writing at the time on systemic risks in the financial sector. Doctoral studies generally require a lot of time over a period of years, and Deka accommodated me by offering the option of reduced working hours and a sabbatical.
Michaela Hönig

During my doctoral studies I took advantage of the option of reduced working hours and a sabbatical.

Since 2015, in addition to my “main job”, I have also been a lecturer at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences in the areas of Capital Market & Asset Management. I lecture up to ten hours a week, supervise theses and lead research projects. I presented the results of our last special project on the Facebook currency Libra to the Digital Committee of the German Bundestag and have since been called in as an expert witness for the hearings. My days and weeks are varied and always different. The nice thing is that Deka, as my employer, is involved in these varied activities.

Lecturer at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences

My activity: Extensive and independent

I have been working on the Board of Management’s staff since 2014. My responsibilities include the coordination and support of committees and mandates of the Board of Management. I work analytically and conceptually on issues involving the company’s
functional units. In addition, there are many special tasks, as well as ad-hoc requests. This requires flexibility, keen perceptiveness and a comprehensive banking background. My extensive professional experience also results in well-structured and thought-out
solutions.

Cooperation with Deka: Open and on the same wavelength

My activities are usually technically complex and varied. This also requires cooperation with other departments. I find that my colleagues at Deka are all highly competent and well aware of their responsibilities. That is a real asset. This very collegial environment makes working together much easier and also explains why, on average, employees stay at Deka for a very long time. Having been here for more than twelve years, I’m in good company.

What makes an employer attractive – including for junior staff

What I find particularly positive at Deka is the high degree of flexibility that is offered, including different working arrangements. Young people today attach much more importance to a healthy work-life balance and the opportunity to work from home.

In addition to variety and a high degree of flexibility, there is a lot more on offer. Including financial benefits such as a company pension plan, the job ticket (a subsidy for public transportation) or the subsidy for the canteen. Our location in the middle of Frankfurt is very central, only one S-Bahn station away from the main railway station.

The basic attitude, how we deal with new topics and change, is positive. There are also projects to increase innovation, such as robotics and our open digital factory. For me, the decisive factor is that there is room for everyone to develop here. Deka is open to personal interests. And enables employees to realise their own potential. Because personal development is encouraged. This makes us well-positioned for the future.
Michaela Hönig

Deka is a very attractive employer for young people. It offers technically challenging tasks and responsibilities in a straight-forward corporate structure, very good financial benefits and pensions, a varied work-life balance that has been developed over the years, and a friendly and very collegial working environment.