Germany's first female dual leadership in the skilled crafts sector
For the first time in Germany, a Chamber of Skilled Crafts is headed by a female dual leadership in both a full-time and honorary position. Manja Bonin was unanimously elected as the new Managing Director of the Cottbus Chamber of Skilled Crafts on Thursday evening. She represents the interests of around 9,400 craft businesses with a total of 47,000 employees and 1,800 trainees.
The 46-year-old Cottbus native will succeed Knut Deutscher, who led the chamber for 28 years, on January 1, 2024. Bonin has many years of experience in management consulting. She has been working for the Cottbus Chamber of Crafts since 2008. President Corina Reifenstein is counting on her for the successful development of the skilled crafts sector in South Brandenburg. Bonin is a strong personality and a reliable and constructive colleague.
Among other things, Bonin is responsible for topics such as career guidance, the precise filling of apprenticeships and structural change. She comes from a family of tradespeople. "This taught me what it means to be independent (...). And what it means to find solutions with your own hands. That's what it's all about. Finding solutions instead of describing problems," emphasized the 46-year-old.
In Germany, three chambers of skilled crafts are led by female presidents: Berlin, Cottbus and Frankfurt-Rhine-Main. Three chambers have a female managing director: Freiburg, Hildesheim-South Lower Saxony and Rheinhessen.
Bonin's background as a tradesperson's daughter and her extensive experience in management consulting have equipped her with a keen understanding of the craft sector. As the new Managing Director, she aims to focus on topics such as career guidance, filling apprenticeships precisely, and navigating structural change.
This groundbreaking dual leadership can also inspire more women to consider leadership roles within the skilled crafts sector, potentially leading to further gender diversity in the future.
Source: www.dpa.com
