In the middle of fun, work and digital evolution – leading a team at the GDF  

Enabling Allianz companies to digitize and strengthen customer ties. Co-creating winning user experiences. Delivering reusable, customer-validated results. Scaling solutions to serve the diversity of our customers across the globe. This is what we do at the GDF – But did you know that bringing the Global Digital Factory to life was just five years ago, when the digital transformation of the entire Allianz Group was initiated?

Today, we want you to meet Anian who was one of the first experts starting to work at the GDF as a Digital Marketing Strategist and evolved to Head of Product Design and Optimization.  

About Anian


Previous Position:
Head of Product Design and Optimization Team at the Global Digital Factory

New Position:
Responsible for Customer Journeys at Allianz Direct

Skills:
Digital Marketing & Analytics
UX/UI Design for Digital Applications
Research and Performance Optimization
 

"We were just at the outset, with many ideas but we had to define the final way completely new”, he tells us, looking back to the very beginnings. “There were many challenges and questions to be answered. How can we measure the performance of our products? How do we need to design marketing strategies for our customer journeys and applications? How can we bring together user insights and digital asset development? And how can we create assets and solutions that are modularly built, scalable and match the user requirements to operating entities across the Allianz group around the world?”

All this and much more needed to be faced when there were no processes or general conditions defined.

As Head of Product Design and Optimization it was Anian’s passion to handle transformation and bring Business, IT and the User Perspective all together in a consistent way.

 

*Fun Fact* Anian’s time at the GDF also included a short career as a photo model for Allianz Collection. 

Anian`s view of his time at the GDF

From building a new business location to managing digital assets for Allianz OEs worldwide, working at the GDF has been a truly unique experience. 

At the beginning there were actually days when you were sitting in important meetings in the morning while aligning decisions on corporate level, picking the right office chairs and interiors over lunch and planning the next insurtech meetup later that day.

Surely the people and that open mindset is what makes working at GDF so special. Constant development and evolution of our business are the result of interdisciplinary cooperation, strong commitment of the employees and knowledge sharing.

By the way: Check out  GDF then and now to get impressions about GDFs first location move and have a look at our latest App Center article, the GDF has transformed over the years from customer journey based projects to a focus on global frontend solutions.

Lessons learned and Anian’s tips for young professionals

And finally many challenges come with experience new knowledge, skills and competencies. What matters most in Anian’s eyes is

  • do not wait for others to do something, be proactive! 
  •  dare to challenge things! 
  • if you are convinced of your idea, then bring it to life!

“Team, you combine a unique skillset here at Allianz to place the customer at the core of our work, please continue that! It was a pleasure to work with you all and a unique learning experience for me!” – Anian Haager

Now imagine you are right at the beginning of your professional career and you want to run your own business. That’s what Anian tried doing right after his studies. And when he joined the GDF it felt like a Start-Up again, but this time in the middle of an enterprise structure. Entrepreneurship can also be learned quite well in a large company. And what he learned and wants to tell young career starters is, that no matter if you are in a corporate environment or a Start-Up, you need to have a very strong and powerful vision and mission to drive things forward. And only with passion you can convince the people around you.

Looking forward

A transformation department, such as the GDF, lives from employees’ passion to do something relevant, something great. Now the Global Digital Factory is an essential part of the Allianz Technology and Anian is ready to enrich another Allianz OE with his competence and passion. Overlooking and shaping Customer Journeys at Allianz Direct, Anian leaves the GDF to move closer to the operating business.

Thank you and Goodbye   

Dear Anian, you shaped the GDF and Allianz digital future with us. Thanks for having you guiding us through the challenges of digital transformation and as a dear team lead. Stay the way you are and inspire your new colleagues with your positive nature, your energy and your motivation as you inspired us!