ConsultantGen in the blood: About performance and entrepreneurial spirit - Hanna Hellenbroich-Schrader (Personnel Management) in conversation with Franziskus Linsmann about his motivation to work in cultural consulting at actori.

 

Hello Franziskus, nice to have you with me today.
Hello Hanna, thank you, I am happy to complete my team profile.

You started at actori as a consultant in August 2021 and took a steep career path with your promotion to project manager in November 2022. Why don't you tell us how you came to actori?
It was clear to me quite early on in my studies that I wanted to become a management consultant. As a business economist, I then embarked on a classic consulting career and worked for Bertelsmann Inhouse Consulting in Gütersloh.
What I particularly like about working as a consultant is the fact-driven work directly on the challenge. As a consultant, you find comprehensive solutions in a short space of time and can thus bring about changes that would otherwise have taken many years.
My first contact with actori was during my internship in 2018. I still remember the project at Speinshart Monastery in Bavaria that I was allowed to accompany as an intern in 2018. Especially because the Free State of Bavaria decided this year (2023) to implement the concept of an AI center in Bavaria that was developed at the time and the federal government is also investing 6 million euros in funds. I never lost touch with actori after my internship and was delighted when the management approached me again. The position of project manager fills me with pride and humility, because it also involves clear responsibility and great trust in a young manager like me.

actori is not a traditional strategy consultancy because, unlike other consultancies, our focus is particularly on the cultural, educational and entertainment sectors. We work a lot with the public sector. Was that perhaps also a reason for you to "come back" to actori?
Absolutely. My parents are both at home in a cultural institution and in classical music. I myself was already on stage in various roles as a boy, e.g. in The Magic Flute. However, there was more than one reason for me to switch to actori.
If you follow the areas and projects in which actori is successful via LinkedIn, actori insights or actori alumni/ae, for example, you quickly get a feeling for the agility and performance of the company. I would describe myself as a very energetic colleague and this is exactly where it all fits together. In addition, actori has created the ideal framework conditions for me. I work from the company office in Dresden and am therefore closer to my family and friends. I commute to the head office in Munich at least once a month.

That sounds exciting, can you perhaps go into a little more detail about what makes actori so agile and efficient?
Of course. actori is constantly developing from its own know-how and resources. The growth course includes the (further) development of consulting business areas, internal processes and new entrepreneurial topics. I benefit from my work in the private sector, especially when it comes to optimizing internal topics. It's great how open people are to change here. Since I joined actori, I have been able to contribute to the conversion of the software landscape, provide impetus in new business areas and was recently responsible for the introduction of OKR. It's a lot of fun to work in a company where everyone, including the management, is willing to experiment. This is certainly one of actori's recipes for success and an ideal working environment for colleagues with good ideas to grow.

We are pleased that you feel you are in good hands at actori, I think every company would like that. What advice would you give an applicant who is considering applying for a job at actori?
That's not so easy, do you mean in terms of the content of the application preparation? Or in general?
Both as well as.
Let's assume that you have applied and got an interview with actori. I think being prepared is important here. It shows commitment and interest. In consultations, it is often a task in application scenarios to create a case study. We do the same here, but in a cultural context. If you are interested in a concrete example, I recommend the online book "Perspective on Management Consulting", which is available free of charge for students on the "efellows" website. I have published a practice case in it, which is great interview preparation for prospective actori consultants.

Dear Franziskus, thank you, that's a good tip for applicants!
But now a personal question to conclude, can you tell us something about your personal connection to culture?
Apart from my family background, I'm mainly influenced by church music. I have been singing with the Dresden Boys' Choir since the third grade. Daily rehearsals and weekly performances have definitely left their mark on me. Even today, the motets by Bruckner and Mendelsohn are among my absolute favorite pieces of music.

Thank you very much for the insightful interview!
You are welcome.

 

Team