Alumni profile: Rafael Pasquet  [14.01.25]

"My tips for the start of your career and for your career path: See as many areas as possible in a short space of time (e.g. via a trainee or other junior staff program). In this way, you quickly realize which field you want to work in (...)"

 

Name	Rafael Pasquet
Subject in Hohenheim	Business Administration and Economics with a specialization in Business Administration (Controlling, Entrepreneurship, Marketing)
Studied at the University of Hohenheim	2004 - 2009

 

 

 

Today I am:

Chief Financial Officer at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd. in Melbourne, Australia.

My tips for the start of your career and for your career path:

See as many areas as possible in a short space of time (e.g. via a trainee or other junior staff program). In this way, you quickly realize which field you want to work in and also build up a large network, which is especially important in large companies for later development. Always leave your comfort zone, which is exhausting but helps you to constantly develop. Don't rely on high performance being recognized by itself, but build your own brand.

The skills I acquired during my studies have helped me the most in my career:

Approaching problems in a structured way and having the highest standards for my own work. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and studying in Hohenheim has certainly played its part in this.

How have your studies at Hohenheim influenced you and your work:

Many friendships and contacts were made at the University of Hohenheim that still exist today. In my professional life, I've often bumped into fellow students and alumni and it's always nice to have a common point of contact that gets you talking.

My professional network has been and still is important for:

At all stages of my career, I have benefited from the network that I have built up over the years. Be it to get professional advice, to discuss options for my professional development or to open doors that would otherwise have been closed. The importance of a good network cannot be overstated - the important thing is not to limit your network to your own company, but also to maintain good contacts outside of it.

My next professional goals:

After 12 years in finance in various roles and in many different countries, I can well imagine myself in the role of CEO. Here you have even more direct influence on the success of the company and the corporate culture as a whole, which I find particularly appealing.

I like to think back to that when I remember my studies in Hohenheim:

As far as my studies are concerned, I mainly remember the beautiful campus of the University of Hohenheim and the many contacts with my fellow students, which continue to this day. Professionally, it is above all the appointments in different countries that were and still are a great enrichment for me and my family and I can only recommend everyone to get involved if such an opportunity arises.