Hanka Smiejczak is a vice president at 4flow consulting. She came to 4flow almost ten years ago without a background in supply chain and has since led projects in England, India, Italy, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the USA. She also earned an MBA in Spain. In this interview, she talks about her career path, recommendations for young consultants and how she focuses at work.

How did you get into supply chain?
I always found it fascinating that DHL could deliver packages and letters across Germany overnight. Numbers, organizing projects and ensuring that all parts work together – even in school, I found all that exciting. Supply chain is tangible, and you make a difference, because a product needs to get from point A to point B. I get excited about the analytical side; I really like working with numbers. Programs of study for supply chain, however, weren’t very international when I was a student – and I wanted to study in English and go abroad. That’s why I chose to study international business and travel to countries like Argentina and India during this time.

And then as a business graduate to 4flow?
Right. Supply chain never loosened its grip on me, so I applied for a job at 4flow. One of the interviews took place via video call, even back then, because I was in India. I was really nervous, since I wasn’t an engineer and hadn’t studied supply chain management – and I didn’t have a master’s degree either. To prepare, I read a book about automotive supply chain to pick up a few technical terms. My excitement about logistics and analytical thinking must have taken care of the rest.

You started as a consultant at 4flow, and today you’re a vice president. How has your job changed over time?
Today I spend about 80% of my workday in meetings – whether one-to-one with team members or in meetings with customers. When I started, it was just about the opposite. As a consultant, you work a lot with “your” files, Excel sheets and PowerPoints. Mental work is the main order of business in that job. Now, communication is the main part of what I do.

Do you have any tips for young consultants?
Use every chance you get to meet people, whether at lunch, larger events or with customers. And be smart about managing your work-life balance. Working in consulting is stressful and a real challenge for your mind. But every now and then, there are moments and phases with less to do. It’s important to learn not to fill this time up with more work, but to just sit in a café and enjoy a book without feeling guilty. Work will return on its own – and after a break, you’re more creative and can concentrate better.

You’ve traveled a lot, both as a student and later with 4flow. Do you have one place that you remember especially fondly?
For me, South Korea has an ideal mix of East Asian and European culture. There were some new discoveries, and the food and clothing were different from what I knew. I also found it much calmer than China or Japan – less for the eyes to take in and less noise.

Does tranquility also play a role in your everyday work?
It was very nearly lifechanging when I deactivated all the ring tones, vibrating alarms and push notifications on my phone a few years ago. I have to actively open my calendar to see appointments, and I don’t have the little red icon showing me the number of emails in my inbox. That really helped me stop being “on” all the time and just focus instead. Of course, people can reach me via email and Teams on my computer – but nothing bad happens if I don’t answer a message right away.