We’d like to introduce Marie-Claire Bartmann, Senior Tech Consultant at Project A. Since joining us in 2021, she’s helped our portfolio companies with several tech projects and has recently moved into a senior role. Read on to learn more about the field of tech consulting at Project A, the skills needed to succeed, and why Marie-Claire’s most successful project to date wasn’t tech-related.
After studying in Vienna and Maastricht and working for an IT consultancy, Marie-Claire joined Project A as the first hire of our Tech Consulting team. “When I found out Project A was setting up a tech consulting team, I applied immediately. The chance to apply my expertise in a completely different environment sounded incredibly exciting!”
Marie-Claire has supported many of our portfolio companies, particularly our private equity investments, on a wide range of tech projects. Her job has ranged from setting up strategic tech roadmaps to selecting and implementing new IT systems. “The types of projects I have been involved in have had a wide range of applications, but they all have one thing in common: The outcome has a significant impact on the company’s development.”
For Marie-Claire, tech consulting is about connecting the dots between the business side of a company and the technical side. She believes that a combination of general technical understanding and good communication skills is the secret to success in a tech consultancy role. “Tech consultants bridge the gap between business and technology. In other words, we help our portfolio companies identify and respond to business issues with technical solutions.”
Being a tech consultant usually means being the point of contact between different stakeholders, so it’s important to understand their needs and interests in order to reflect them technically. “One of the most exciting yet challenging parts of being a tech consultant is balancing the different stakeholder needs and aligning them to a common technical objective.” According to Marie-Claire, a few technical skills are required to start a career in tech consulting: “Overall, a solid understanding of the current tech landscape is essential. However, I consider analytical thinking and strong communication skills to be key to creating innovative and sustainable tech solutions for our portfolio companies.”
Aside from helping our portfolio companies make the right tech decisions, Marie-Claire’s biggest achievement at Project A so far has nothing to do with tech. “Last year, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues from Project A to set up a school for Ukrainian refugee children. Through our collective efforts, we were able to surpass our goals and establish an NGO that supports social projects on a global scale. As the founder of this organization, I am proud to continue working passionately toward its success, even though it is outside my area of expertise in technology.”