In this edition of Life@Oi, we highlight Julian Matejek, our Human Resources Business Partner for Sourcing and Supply Chain.
Julian joined us from the Otto Group, bringing with him a strong background in market and social research. He began his journey with the Group in 2021 as an intern in their HR Management Strategy and Diversity department, focusing on strategic direction and community work. In this role, Julian worked closely with organisations across the Group, contributing to their Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiatives and gaining valuable insight into diverse organisation cultures and practices. In 2022, Julian moved to Otto International’s corporate office in Hong Kong to work in our People Development and Talent Management team. Over the course of his time here, he stepped into the role of Talent Management Lead, where he played a pivotal role in developing and facilitating our global performance and talent processes to enhance the capabilities of our organisation. Recently, he transitioned into his new role as HR Business Partner, offering HR guidance on talent and performance management, organisational development, and employee relations, while driving HR operations.
Julian’s drive to challenge himself, from moving to Hong Kong and finding opportunities to further develop himself and the organisation, embodies the commitment to continuous improvement that Life@Oi advocates.
From the Otto Group to Otto International
Julian shares that relocating to a new country has always been one of his key goals throughout his career, explaining “it is important to put myself in a position where I can push myself professionally and personally. Working in a new country puts me in that position.” When the opportunity to complete a traineeship at Otto International arose, Julian embraced the challenge.
His experience at the Group was instrumental in his transition, working with cross-functional teams from various Group companies around the world on D&I initiatives. Reflecting on these experiences, he says, “communication and collaboration were essential when working with the Group’s global companies. All of which helped me when I came to Otto International since we have locations around the world. Every country has a different work culture, and learning to communicate effectively with different HR departments gave me insight to all the different perspectives.” During this time, he worked with Otto International on several of our D&I projects, interacting with people in our various locations and giving him a glimpse of the internationalism we champion.
The impetus for moving to Otto International was it presented Julian with an environment where he could challenge himself. When collaborating with our company, Julian explains he felt “the company had a strong multicultural presence, and the prospect of working in that environment excited [him] since [he] had mainly worked in the German market up until that time.” Moving to our corporate office offered Julian an opportunity where “[he] could not only work with people from all different backgrounds but also live in a country with a different environment and culture, which is a prospect that excited [him].”
Building Capabilities Within the Organisation
As Otto International’s Talent Management Lead, Julian was instrumental in streamlining processes and developing programmes to enhance our organisational capabilities. One of his biggest undertakings involved developing and implementing talent and performance modules that provide our employees with greater global visibility for their career development. Julian reflects on the enormity of the project, explaining, “We had to coordinate with a number of different stakeholders, and there were a lot of different elements that we had to develop within a very tight timeframe.” The project’s success hinged on close collaboration between the Talent and HR teams across all our locations, ensuring that everyone’s objectives were aligned, and tasks were completed efficiently.
Despite the pressure, Julian considers this project one of his proudest accomplishments. His pride stems from the team’s collective effort to tackle such a significant task. “Everyone got to see our final result, but the teamwork behind the scenes is often unnoticed,” Julian says. “The team came together to meet the tight deadlines, and it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s commitment.” This experience not only highlighted the power of teamwork but also reinforced Julian’s belief in driving continuous development across our organisation.
Refining Skills
While Julian has supported our company in building our talent initiatives, he has also been an active participant in these programmes himself. One such example is our Project Management Capability Enhancement Programme, which is aimed at refining our people’s skills so that they can take on more complex tasks and initiatives within our organisation. Julian explains that, in his experience, “Project Management is an essential skill and necessary for talent development and to enhance our capabilities to meet our future needs.”
As part of the programme, Julian participated in a secondment with our Strategy team, applying his learning in a different function area. Through this collaboration, Julian sharpened his strategic thinking skills, “teaching [him] to better understand various initiatives’ environments: their risks, and how to mitigate them,” and giving him the requisite practical skills to be more efficient and effective in his role. By collaborating with the Strategy team and learning how they operate, Julian gained insight into “the relationship between Talent Development and our Business Strategy.” The team has a “360-degree view of the organisation.” Working alongside them, allowed Julian to deepen his understanding of various departments, our business, and our processes. He maintains the belief that it is beneficial to have a clear understanding on specific roles in different function areas: “It helps to fully understand the scope of a merchandiser in order to establish the right approach and initiative to develop them.” This mentality equips Julian with the mindset to further enhance our organisation’s capabilities as he enters his new role of HR Business Partner.
Julian’s proactive mentality and hunger to learn embody the spirit of Life@Oi. His drive to push himself beyond his comfort zones and provide opportunities for people in our organisation to enhance their skills reflects the culture of continuous improvement we strive to foster.
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