“The topics of the future of work and health are topics of my heart.”
Dr. Margit Aufterbeck-Martin
What made you decide to work at ifok?
It fascinates me how much people who actually have very different, sometimes conflicting interests can move together. They just have to sit together in the right constellation, at the right time and with the right questions. With craftsmanship, tact and sympathy, ifok has been constantly creating new standards here for 25 years and reinventing itself again and again. This is only possible with open-minded colleagues and I look forward to them every day.
How long have you been part of the ifok team and where were you before?
I’ve been with ifok for 15 years, and after completing my doctorate in sociolinguistics in Cambridge, UK, I ended up here. And no year was like another: after starting in Bensheim with Hans-Peter Meister, I founded the Munich office, took parental leave three times and spent the last two and a half years with my family in Toronto, Canada, where I was able to learn so much about diversity, agility and social discourse.
What sets you apart at the office?
The topics of the future of work and health are topics of my heart, for which I personally burn, which belong so closely together especially in this time and where there is much to do. But I have always liked the role as an all-purpose weapon at ifok, with each project new challenges in content and new people, I find that immensely enriching. Among my colleagues, I’m probably the colorful dog that has disappeared to Canada in between.
What do you particularly like doing in your free time?
With half my soul I am still in Canada, with the other half we are reinventing our lives here in Munich. I am currently pursuing my second, third and fourth educational path: bringing three children from the Canadian to the Bavarian educational level broadens my horizons immensely. Ask me about Ohm’s laws in parallel and series connection, or the French subjonctif, which I finally understood in the 4th attempt!