School, university, leadership track… does a traditional career path have to look like this? Absolutely not.

Berit Behl, Regional Managing Director NRW at MediaMarktSaturn, initially had a similar plan. But her journey took a completely different turn. After finishing high school, Berit didn’t get a university placement but instead received an offer for an apprenticeship at Saturn. She started her training as a retail saleswoman and completed it in just 15 months. Then, she planned to go to university as originally intended.

However, her talent and dedication didn’t go unnoticed. Berit’s boss recognized her potential and wanted to keep her in the company. Right after completing her apprenticeship, she became a department manager and also attended evening school to earn her qualification as a certified retail specialist. “It wasn’t easy—I had to give up a lot,” she says when looking back on those years.

At 27, she managed her first Saturn store. Since 2023, Berit has been responsible for one of the company’s 14 sales regions. With the wealth of experience she has gained in a short time, she is now actively involved in the internal women’s network Women in Retail. The goal? To find ways to bring more women into leadership positions. Berit leads the group Balancing Career and Family. She loves her job and wants to have children someday—so she’s working on solutions.

She advocates for an open mindset and attractive career opportunities for working mothers, such as part-time leadership roles. “I know it’s possible,” she says. “I’ve managed two stores at the same time. And since I couldn’t be in two places at once, I wasn’t in both stores every single day.”

Want to learn more about Berit’s career journey, her challenges, her successes, and what drives her? You’ll find all the details in the book. Berit is also available as a mentor! Interested in connecting with her? You’ll find the details in the book as well.

A Post by herCAREER,
posted on LinkedIn on 20.02.2025

 

Frauen des Jahres 2024/2025 (Available only in German language)
Link to the book