Company events sometimes feel like vacations with friends.

Anja Kammer Senior Consultant

Anja Kammer

With INNOQ since 2019.

Working as Senior Consultant .

Anja, a native Berliner, moved to her chosen home between Berlin and Frankfurt/Oder for more tranquility. The former library assistant only turned her hobby into a profession in her second career path, studying media informatics. At INNOQ, she advises companies on cloud migration strategies, cloud-native software architecture and infrastructure, as well as platforms and development processes. She is also an accredited trainer and co-curator for the iSAQB® Advanced Level module CLOUDINFRA, gives talks at conferences, and discusses exciting IT topics with colleagues as an INNOQ podcast host.

It’s a typical vacation scene: the snow-covered mountains of the Swiss Alps in the background, bright blue sky, lively conversations on the hotel terrace. However, the people enjoying the sunshine are not tourists. They are colleagues at INNOQ – gathered at one of the regularly organized company events to exchange ideas away from everyday project work, learn from each other, and grow together as a team.

Anja is talking outdoors with a colleague in front of a snow-covered mountain landscape on a sunny day.

Besides the great view, the conversations revolve around current IT trends, ongoing projects, and sharing valuable tips. Right in the middle: Anja, Senior Consultant at INNOQ. The outgoing cloud expert likes to use these events to meet new employees. “This way, I simply feel like I know what almost all my colleagues specialize in.” Being well-connected helps her not only with her projects but also in her role as a podcast host at INNOQ. “For podcast planning, it’s just important to know who has what specialized knowledge and what exciting topics are currently being worked on.”

Anja already knew the INNOQ podcast before she applied. The professional excellence of the employees and the open work culture impressed her – this was exactly the environment she wanted to work in. With smart people she could learn from. In a company where she wouldn’t run into walls but could really make a difference.

People trust me to know what I’m doing. That’s a big source of motivation for me.
Anja is holding two green TRX-like straps with gloves in a training room with wooden and brick structures.

Previously, Anja, who completed training as a library assistant in her first career, worked at a Berlin software startup, already during her studies in international media informatics. However, there it was difficult to shed the student status and develop further. She simply wanted more development opportunities and finally found them at INNOQ.

Hands are stacking books with titles like 'ROAR' by Stacy T. Sims, '10-Minute Korean' and 'Talk To Me In Korean Workbook – Level 5' on a white table.
Close-up of a bookshelf with books, including 'Korean Grammar in Use: Advanced' in pink/purple, 'Team Topologies', and 'Real-Life Korean Conversations Intermediate'.

Anja is not only a Senior Consultant specializing in cloud computing, but also an accredited trainer and co-curator of the iSAQB® Advanced Level module CLOUDINFRA. She provides further education for software architects, develops training curricula, accredits new trainers, and updates teaching content. She was already involved in teaching before: as a computer science tutor during her master’s studies, later as a lecturer for DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering at Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (HTW).

She particularly appreciates the freedom and trust at INNOQ to implement ideas independently. “If I have an idea for a new training course or a podcast series, I can implement it directly,” Anja explains. She values being able to pursue ideas on her own initiative – the framework for such projects is coordinated with management in an uncomplicated way.

Person sitting in front of two monitors, with a video meeting on one and a text document on the other. A microphone on a swivel arm is in the foreground.

In the end, I want everything to run smoothly – technically and interpersonally.
Anja is holding an open book with colorful markings and diagrams, gesturing in a way that suggests a discussion or explanation, with a bookshelf in the background.

At INNOQ, Anja primarily advises companies on cloud migration strategies, cloud-native software architecture and infrastructure, as well as platforms and development processes. She always views IT organizations through a “socio-technical lens” and passes on her knowledge in corresponding workshops.

In her projects, Anja looks for solutions that meet the actual requirements of companies. Fancy tech gimmicks? She often considers them unnecessary: “I’m a perfectionist, but I have an aversion to overly perfect solutions that completely miss the actual need.” Instead, she focuses on feasibility and sustainability. She prefers to start with small adjustments, using available resources and refining as needed. “Less overengineering at the beginning, but seeing quick successes and learning from them“ that has proven effective.”

Anja is speaking into a microphone, holding a glass of water in her hand. A notebook with handwritten notes lies on the table. In the background, there is a bookshelf.

Anja looks not only at cloud strategies but always at the entire system. Do architecture and organizational structure match the company’s requirements? Where are there problems, which processes are grinding, where are roles missing? Especially in workshops where current problems are discussed, a lot of sensitivity is required, she explains. Weaknesses need to be addressed sensitively yet clearly.

What particularly motivates her as a consultant? “I like to stay in projects longer so I can see how decisions play out. I want to reap the fruits of what I’ve sown,” she says. She takes on various roles: she moderates discussions, fills gaps in the team, and jumps into development when it comes to backend, infrastructure, or automation. The support within the team is particularly important to her. For this, she regularly seeks feedback, offers her support, and ensures that everyone in a team has space to share their perspective.

Anja, wearing a black sports shirt, is looking down in a room with wooden beams and concrete walls.
Anja is holding a measuring spoon, scooping protein powder from a glass container. On the kitchen counter, there are coffee, a bowl of fruit, a milk carton, and a milk frother.

I see it as my responsibility, especially as a woman, to be visible in IT – even though I often get stage fright.
Close-up of hands wearing black fitness gloves, holding resistance bands attached to a weight plate, in an indoor training environment.
Anja is attaching weight plates to a barbell in a room with exposed wooden beams, presumably a home gym.

During the event days in Switzerland, Anja takes the opportunity to meet colleagues in person whom she otherwise only sees in video calls. As much as she appreciates the quiet and focused work in the home office, personal exchange at such events is just as important to her. Spontaneous podcast ideas or initial approaches for workshop topics emerge in these conversations. The relaxed atmosphere helps to develop new ideas and get feedback in a calm setting.

The INNOQ company events, which usually take place six times a year at changing locations on different topics, are a welcome platform not only for Anja but for many colleagues – especially since everyone works distributed across Germany and Switzerland.

Two people are standing at a tall round table, having a conversation in a room with wooden elements and warm lighting.

Anja has long considered it normal to work as a woman in IT. Also because she is convinced that diverse teams simply function better – an attitude that INNOQ shares. “You’re less likely to get lost in one-sided solutions when different perspectives come together,” she emphasizes. That’s exactly why it’s important for her to be visible as a female role model: in presentations, as an author of technical articles, or in podcasts. Although it’s not always easy for her to be in the spotlight.

If everyone just tells me: 'That was good,' it doesn't really help me improve.
Person wearing glasses and cycling gloves is riding a stationary bike with focus in an attic with wooden beams and pink lighting.

Anja greatly appreciates the culture of open knowledge and experience exchange practiced at INNOQ. This includes building individual mentoring relationships. Initiative is required here. Although she received the usual “culture mentoring” at the beginning, she specifically sought out the support that would really help her progress. “Sven Johann is not only my podcast co-host, but also a mentor for me. He encourages me and, above all, gives me honest feedback.”

Two people are sitting side by side on a grey surface in front of a textured wall. On the left is Anja, on the right co-host Sven wearing a black INNOQ T-shirt, both smiling.

This exchange is central for Anja, as she wants to continuously develop – both professionally and personally. “It’s important to me to get feedback early – not just positive feedback, but also criticism. Whether for presentations, podcast recordings, or training sessions: I question my concept and appreciate every suggestion that makes me better.”

Anja and podcast co-host Sven are sitting and talking. Sven is wearing a black shirt with the 'INNOQ' logo. The scene is set in dim lighting.

She has benefited from experienced colleagues, especially in professional development and cloud infrastructure topics. “I want to understand how things work in detail. And if I find someone who has already walked this path and can point out pitfalls for me, I learn faster and more efficiently.” The fact that she then passes on her insights – for example, in the form of podcasts or training sessions – motivates her additionally: “I challenge myself, become more confident in new topics, and pass on what I’ve learned to others.”

Anja is reading an open book marked with several pink and green sticky notes. The visible page shows a diagram with orange and yellow bars. In the background, the book cover displays the title Accelerate.

She is equally committed to her role as an application buddy at INNOQ. Together with other colleagues, she is a contact person for interested candidates before they apply. She is often asked what qualities are crucial for the job. For Anja, two qualities are particularly important: Communication skills come first – not only with clients but also among colleagues. And then there’s the intrinsic motivation to deliver high quality and continuously develop. She also has a tip for applicants and career starters:

Find mentors, get feedback, appreciate criticism. You can only get better from it.
Dense forest with tall trees, a green canopy of leaves, and sunlight casting patterns on the leaf-covered ground.
Large stack of felled logs in the forest, with Anja in motion in the foreground, slightly blurred as she walks past.