MM Connect with Dr. Dieter Wemmer

"MM Special" about career opportunities for mathematicians in the private sector
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On 27 January 2023, Dr. Dieter Wemmer joined us at MM Connect to present a special talk. He briefly outlined his own career path and, based on his decades of experience as a CFO and CEO of several big companies, offered our young mathematicians advice on how to approach making decisions about their career paths and which important factors need to be considered. He also gave an overview of job opportunities and tasks for mathematicians in fields like insurance, data science, IT, banking, consulting and start-ups.

He emphasised that – although different from academia – the private sector offers plenty of opportunities to find intellectually challenging tasks. He also gave interesting insight into how processes and decisions work amid the strong hierarchies often found in large companies.

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The audience took the opportunity to ask the guest many questions about his career and career choices. The topic of renewable energy, which Dieter Wemmer is committed to, was also met with great interest. He spoke about his participation in a Danish company for wind energy plants and stated that, in his opinion, renewable energies could already be much more advanced and available if there were fewer bureaucratic hurdles.

About Dieter Wemmer:
Dieter Wemmer did his PhD in topology at the University of Cologne and after a postdoctoral stay in Oxford left academia for the private sector. He started his very successful career as an actuary in an insurance company and later held positions as a board member, CEO and CFO of several big companies (e.g. Zurich Versicherung, Zurich Financial Service, Allianz SE).

About MM Connect:
The event format "MM Connect" offers young scientists of Mathematics Münster the opportunity to exchange ideas regularly. They can present themselves and their research project, exchange tools, concepts and experiences. In special talks, experienced researchers and guests contribute to MM Connect by providing personal advice for early career researchers.

Link:
MM Connect - event series by and for doctoral researchers and Postdocs

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