Wednesday, September 21, 2022

My name is Thomas Lurger, I was born and raised in Lower Austria, close to Vienna and I am currently working as a Brand Manager for Milka Tablets Austria.

When did you join MDLZ? And why did you choose to join MDLZ?

I joined MDLZ three years ago right after I finished my Marketing Masters Program at University. I heard about Mondelēz and its reputation as a great place to work some years prior when I was working for another FMCG company besides my studies. When I began looking for a job to start my career after University, I came across a very exciting job posting for a position as a Junior Brand Manager in the MDLZ JUMP-Programme and decided to apply immediately.

What is your current role and what makes it exciting?

After I finished the JUMP Programme, I was very happy to hear that Mondelēz was offering me a position as a Brand Manager in the Austrian Tablets Marketing Team. Working on projects and campaigns for Milka, one of THE most iconic Austrian brands, almost feels like a dream came true to me. It is something very special as you have the privilege to foster the image of a brand that you have had a connection with ever since you were a child. Everybody in Austria knows Milka and it makes me proud to say that I am part of the team who creates those exiting campaigns that my friends and family see in store, on TV, online or on the streets, every day.

What personal qualities or skills make you successful in your position?

In today’s dynamic times where, numerous external factors can change from one day to the other it is more important than ever to be agile in your everyday work. In my opinion it is crucial to be flexible and adapt to new circumstances immediately. Embrace change and always be prepared for the unpredictable. To be a successful Brand Manager you need to make sure to be well organized, work in a structured way and still be flexible enough to adapt to new situations whenever necessary.

How has your career developed at MDLZ?

The JUMP Programme gave me the opportunity to work in different departments and find out for myself where my interests and strengths lay. After I started off as a Junior Brand Manager in the seasonals Marketing Team I wanted to deepen my knowledge in the field of sales, so I joined the CP&A department as a Junior Customer Activation Manager for 1,5 years. During that time, I worked on interesting projects and acquired knowledge in areas other than marketing, the field I studied at university. Even though I eventually decided to switch back to Marketing, I don’t want to miss the time in CP&A since this experience still helps me a lot in my everyday work.

How do you describe the culture at MDLZ?

The culture is really something special. From day one I felt like I was part of a big family. The company truly cares about the needs of its employees, and this is reflected in numerous aspects of our daily work life. For example, even though many companies went back to mandatory office-based working after COVID-19, Mondelēz gave us the flexibility to decide if we prefer to work from home or go to the office.

What is your view on working from home, a hybrid model and the way MDLZ handles this?

I am a big fan of the hybrid working model. The impact it has on one’s work-life-balance is amazing. Personally, I go to the office twice a week to see my colleagues and have some social interaction. I like the personal coffee chats with my teammates and all the other people I would not get to see when working from home. However, I also enjoy working from home on the other days. Giving us the freedom to choose when we want to go to the office and when to work from home is something I really appreciate.

And finally, why do you continue to choose MDLZ?

For me it is the overall package that makes Mondelēz a great employer. My job doesn’t only give me the chance to work on brands that I love but the entire working environment of the Mondelēz family supports me in so many ways. I can say, I am happy and proud to work for Mondelēz