Magdalena was working at a brewery on Gran Canaria Island when she first met Krones. "When I took my first steps into the halls and offices of Krones, I was just a customer visiting Krones with my employer at the time", smiles Magdalena. She liked her job in Gran Canaria very much, but she wanted to come back to the mainland to search for new challenges in the beverage industry. An employee of Krones Ibérica that Demczuk had been working with on a brewery project at the time suggested that she could just send him her CV. "He said that they have a lot of customers in Spain, drink manufacturers, breweries – maybe someone was looking for potential employees right now. And then I actually got a call from Krones right after", she laughs. In 2016, she accepted the job as a project manager in the service department and moved to Barcelona.
Living and working where others vacation – this dream is Magdalena Demczuk’s reality. She has been a service project manager at Krones for almost ten years. Originally from Poland, she has found a new home in Barcelona and a job at Krones Ibérica where she is trying to realize her potential.
Work is a lot more easy-going in Spain
Spain had already given her a taste of this. Magdalena Demczuk lived and studied in Poland, but after she participated in the Erasmus Program in Valencia during her last year of Industrial Engineering studies, it became clear to her: "Spain is where I need to be!" To this day, she has not regretted that decision. "I think life here is just as you would imagine it. Sometimes I go to the beach after work if I still have time to. But at the latest, on the weekends, I can experience the same things that tourists are here for during their holidays ", explains the 35-year-old. She likes Spanish culture, how open people are and that there is always something to do. "Life is mostly enjoyed outside, which is possible of course because of the weather, and I really love that."
The project manager also quickly got used to Spanish work culture. "German and Polish people are often organised a bit better, but people here are more flexible", she smiles. "A lot of Spanish people take the workday a bit easier. People like to get a coffee or chat, and that can make the workday last a bit longer. But work-life balance still works."
Being a woman on the construction site – no problem!
Her job is to be the connection between Krones and the customer during projects. "That includes, for example, organising the kick-off meeting with customers and subcontractors, providing experts but also managing reclamations and After Sales issues". It requires high multitasking skills and therefore she spends about half her time in the office and half her time on business trips to wherever customers are. Since she also enjoys travelling in her free time, she really loves that she can get to know so many different places. "I actually travel all around Spain and Portugal. If it were up to me, I would also travel to other countries and continents for Krones, but here in Barcelona we are mostly responsible for this region", explains Demczuk with a smile. Besides speaking Polish, English and Spanish, she is also learning German. This can be useful on construction sites when German colleagues are there. "Most of them speak English but can give even more detailed information in German. Personally, I am a bit out of practice with speaking, but I understand a lot. So, if someone is gossiping, I would notice!", she laughs.
But she doesn’t worry about that at all. People are always respectful and get along. Even though she is a woman working in Service in a male-dominated field, she has never had any bad experiences. "Over the years, I’ve had several wonderful encounters with people of all ages at work. I work together with both newcomers and managers with many years of experience. It’s always great to have different perspectives, no matter what age or gender a person is. And in the end, we’re happy that the project was successful and that we did it together", says Demczuk. And that’s just what she loves most about her daily job: You’re always meeting new people.
From colleagues to friends
She has also come to call some of those people who she first met at work her friends. You see those working on the project often and over a long period time, especially during big projects, and you quickly get to know each other. "If you get along well, then you’d also be happy to stay in contact after a project." She has also even become good friends with people from other Krones subsidiaries in different countries, and she spends time with them whenever she’s there.
The 35-year-old is planning another trip to North and South America this year. Although she already travels a lot for work, she also uses her vacation days to explore the world. She is mostly drawn to nature when there. "I love Barcelona, but the city landscape here is pretty dry, and sometimes I just want to see green trees and mountains!" Her wish for more still hasn’t been fulfilled at work: "The more challenges I face, the more motivated I am", she smiles. Soon, she wants to take on even bigger projects. "And maybe even manage a complete line, from beginning to end."
