Vera Grossmann

Background

About Vera Grossmann

My international background as the daughter of a Californian composer and a Swiss doctor has shaped me a lot. I was born and raised in the Swiss mountains, studied Sociology and Media in Basel and then came to Munich with my German husband to start my career. I speak 6 languages and am passionate about promoting a global social community. I gained my first professional experience in public relations, client consulting, project management and leadership at the international consulting firm Edelman. One of my managers once told me that my ability to think outside the box was what impressed him most. As time went on, I wanted to get to know the client side better. When a friend sent me a job ad for the then little-known expat community InterNations, I did not hesitate: I was intrigued by the founders' vision of becoming the world's largest network for expatriates. And we succeeded: During my time at InterNations, we had 20% annual growth, reached double-digit revenue, made millions in profit, and tripled the number of employees from 50 to 150. Within 5 years, my colleague and I built a communications department with 20 people and a seat on the board. With the aim of supporting business decisions, one of my main concerns was always to make the performance of my team measurable. I led and managed numerous strategic and interdisciplinary projects: From HR topics such as change management, performance catalogues, leadership guidelines or workspaces, to reputation-related projects such as brand positioning, crisis and risk management, to cross-departmental studies or campaigns. Additionally, I was involved in the development of a new growth strategy and the positioning and structural implementation of a B2B business model. In addition to my professional qualifications, I am characterized by my visionary thinking, my extensive personal network and my passion for work.