Leadership at UNIQA has many faces – and more and more of them are female. In the internal interview series “UNIQA Female Role Models,” female managers from different countries and departments openly shared how they lead, what drives them, and which experiences have shaped their journey.
The following highlights from the interviews show how diverse female leadership at UNIQA is and how much courage, attitude, and passion lie behind it.
Many of women in leadership describe the step into leadership as a conscious decision to take on more responsibility and actively shape their environment. Driven by their professional passion and the desire to make an impact, they are particularly motivated by the opportunity to build a team, help shape strategic decisions, and support people in their development.
“My motivation came from the desire to pass on my knowledge and experience, and to form a team that could achieve great things together. I wanted to actively participate in strategic decisions and help shape the direction of sales. What excites me most about leadership is the scope it offers – from developing sales strategies to shaping team culture.” – Nina Bauer-Gager, Regional Head of Exclusive Sales at the Burgenland Regional Office
„Over time, I realized that I enjoy taking on responsibility and that supporting and coordinating people gives me energy. Leadership was therefore a natural next step for me.”– Birgit Wastl, Head of Exclusive Sales Austria
The path to leadership is rarely straightforward. Many role models report that they had to dive into entirely new topics, that personal low points became important turning points, and that staying true to themselves was essential. They do not view challenges as obstacles, but as key elements of their personal growth.
“Passion, authenticity, and empathy are values I try to bring into everything I do, and they’ve guided me through challenges and opportunities.” – Alina Sebe, SEE Regional Senior Leader People Experience
“My main challenge was about mastering a completely new and complex field. I had to learn quickly, gain technical understanding, and build credibility step by step. Over the years, I realized that competence and consistency speak louder than anything else.” – Elina Pavlova, Branch Manager for Bulgaria and Hungary & Head of Business Services, UNIQA Group Services
“It's the lows and challenges in life and at work that make the successes and highlights particularly valuable. It's important to reflect on yourself, learn from your mistakes.” – Ivana Stark, CEO UNIQA Re AG
Although experiences differ, many women share similar observations: expectations for female leaders are often higher, their actions more closely scrutinized, and biases subtle yet noticeable. Still, the women at the top show clearly how they have found their own path.
“Sometimes you are looked at more critically, particularly when you are young and appear in a male-dominated environment. My approach was always: show performance, be well prepared, maintain composure. I didn’t want to be louder than others, but more convincing. Over time, I learned to appear more self-confident and not to question my competence – even when others did.” – Iva Herceg, Head of Product Management Individual.
“Women often have to work harder to receive the same recognition and demonstrate particular strengths both professionally and in dealing with people. This includes resilience and a ‘thick skin.’ In my experience, the higher you climb, the more respectful people are, including towards women. However, the path to get there remains challenging. Titles or successes alone are not enough – you have to continuously work for and assert recognition.” – Sabine Schörg, Managing Director of Risiko, Service und Sachverständigen GmbH (RSG)
Leadership is demonstrated not only through professional expertise, but above all through attitude, values, and the way we treat people and approach tasks. Authentic leadership means developing people, taking responsibility, consistently pursuing goals, and at the same time acting with empathy, respect, and fairness.
“For me, leadership means shaping the company in a positive way, using platforms to initiate change, responding empathetically to people and their environment, and, above all, developing employees. Many people need an external stimulus to recognize their potential – and that is precisely where I see our responsibility as managers.” – Kerstin Larl, Regional Head of Broker Sales at the Vorarlberg Regional Office
“What has helped me throughout the years is my strong work ethic, determination, and willingness to never give up. I approach new tasks with respect and humility, trust my team, and always act with a sense of fairness.” – Daniela Novakova, Head of Procurement & Logistics UNIQA pojišťovna (Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Many role models describe how important their leaders were for their development. They talk about people who recognized their potential, placed trust in them, and opened doors. Good leadership therefore means not only delivering results, but also actively creating space for growth – regardless of origin, gender, or life stage.
“Managers play an important role in every development: they must recognize and promote potential – regardless of origin, gender, or life phase. I see it as the duty of all managers to fulfill this mandate.” – Monika Corcoran, Manager for strategic business development and steering in Bancassurance Austria
These insights show how different leadership styles can be and how much we can learn from each other. At the same time, these experiences highlight how important it is to seize opportunities and work together to create a strong leadership culture.
