Mentor Dr. Viktoria Leonhard and mentee Jule Schneider enjoy meeting for lunch together (Picture: Verena Schmöller/TUM)
In the TUM Mentoring Program, alumni volunteer to support students with important life and career questions. Many mentors are repeatedly engaged and have supported numerous mentees. Numerous former mentees later become mentors themselves, as they have greatly benefited from the program and gained valuable experience.
When Jule Schneider met Dr. Viktoria Leonhard for the first time in autumn 2022, there was an instant connection. They immediately felt a sense of trust and compatibility. Despite their different backgrounds and seemingly little in common at first glance, their personal exchange worked seamlessly.
Share lunch breaks
After more than a year and a half of TUM Mentoring, the two women still meet regularly – usually for lunch. During these shared lunch breaks, they exchange ideas and keep each other informed about what’s happening in each other’s lives. Jule Schneider has changed jobs twice during this time and now works at Bergzeit, where she is responsible for sustainability management.
“Viktoria helped me see what truly matters.”
Mutual Inspiration
But the mentoring relationship also works the other way around: Dr. Viktoria Leonhard has been a corporate executive for eleven years, leading a completely different life than the sustainability-focused newcomer in the startup sector. It’s precisely from these diverse experiences that they both gain valuable insights. “I learned a lot from Jule about the startup world: the exchange formats they use, how communication functions there,” says the 39-year-old.
This also opened her eyes and helped her understand the needs of the younger generation of graduates who are driven by values – unlike her own generation: “After my studies, the job market was shaped by the financial crisis and company hiring freezes, which required many compromises. It was a different time,” explains Dr. Viktoria Leonhard. “Jule’s motivation and perspectives now trigger entirely new considerations and questions for me – even in my own life.”
Not only black and white
“For me, it’s fascinating to realize in our conversations that anything is possible after graduation,” explains Jule Schneider. “I could have just as easily started in a corporate company as in a start-up.” She learned from Dr. Viktoria Leonhard that she can make her own choices and influence job interviews to her advantage, as well as let go of earlier preconceptions. It’s not just black and white between corporations and start-ups; there are many possibilities in between. That’s why Dr. Viktoria Leonhard is a role model for Jule Schneider, “because she doesn’t necessarily follow the traditional path,” combining her leadership role in a large corporation with a side business as a coach and organizational consultant. “I can learn a lot from that.”
“A mix of exchange, advice, and ‘two friends meeting up.’”
“Summing up the essence of our mentoring relationship,” says Dr. Viktoria Leonhard, “it’s a blend of exchange, advice, and ‘two friends meeting up’.” She continues, “What makes our mentoring tandem special is the trust and simultaneous uniqueness between us.” Jule Schneider adds, “Despite our differences, we often think alike.” Both agree that TUM Mentoring brought them together serendipitously: “It’s a perfect match,” they say, emphasizing the importance of personality alignment for fostering openness and strong trust from the outset of their relationship.
Bild: Verena Schmöller
Diplom Management & Technology 2008, Promotion 2013
In her final year, Dr. Viktoria Leonhard received support from TUM Mentoring by alumni for students and learned a great deal from her former mentor. ‘It helped me so much that I still feel I want to give something back to TUM,’ she says – now a leader and head of a team of over 50 in an internationally operating insurance corporation. As a doctorate in economics, she not only co-founded the Stuttgart alumni group but has also been an active mentor in TUM Mentoring for the third time. Additionally, as a TUMentrepreneurship expert, she supports the EXIST-Women funding program. She enjoys guiding her mentees with well-crafted questions and encouraging self-reflection. You can hear more about her experiences in the TUM Community’s career podcast, ‘That’s my Job.’ For further insights into Dr. Viktoria Leonhard, explore the alumni story.
Master Consumer Science 2022
After completing her Bachelor’s degree in International Business Management at the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht in Berlin, Jule Schneider embarked on her Master’s journey at TUM. “The flexibility of the TUM Master’s program was very appealing to me because it allowed me to specialize in sustainability,” she reflects. Following her studies, Jule worked as a sustainability manager in two start-up companies and is currently employed at Bergzeit in Munich. During the post-Master’s phase, Jule sought guidance from a female mentor. She believed that learning from an experienced female leader would provide valuable insights. Moreover, she emphasized the importance of building trust through same-gender mentorship. “Viktoria,” Jule explains, “serves as a positive example for me. Her willingness to share her experiences has been invaluable.”
