Balancing multiculturism, career and charity
As a mother of three who speaks four languages fluently and has lived in France, Austria, Dubai and Germany, Vanessa Haye embodies multiculturalism. Her fascinating background made us want to know more!
Let’s start with the big question: how do you balance family and career?
It helps that Nordmann is a very flexible and family-friendly employer. I work 30 hours a week and can decide whether I want to work in the office or from home, which is huge when it comes to managing my family. Some companies only appear to be family-friendly, but Nordmann
actually is. Working part-time is also considered to be a perfectly normal thing here at Nordmann; you don’t get any weird looks for doing it.
International company, international person. You speak four languages: French, German, English and Portuguese. What language or city do you feel most comfortable in?
My mother is Portuguese and my father is French, so yes – I’ve been a cross-cultural “cross-breed”
since birth! I grew up in a Parisian suburb but then also had German lessons at school. I spoke French with my parents, which I can still do fluently. I met my husband in Paris during his Erasmus
studies. He’s German, originally from Hamburg. We went to Vienna for work and then to Dubai, where we spoke a lot of English. We’ve been living in Hamburg now for twelve years, and I feel at home here. I also have the feeling that in Hamburg, friendships last a lifetime. Since coming
to live in this port city with my three children, my wanderlust doesn’t flare up anymore. I’ve also “Germanized” myself, meaning that I identify with German culture now and have adopted most of its characteristics and values.
Nordmann is very multicultural and openminded, to the point that no one has ever said anything bad about my accent. The colleagues here have always been welcoming.
Vanessa Haye, Senior Technical Sales & Product Manager Flame Retardants at Nordmann Germany
You do a lot on top of your job at Nordmann because you also have a parttime job in the social sector. Can you tell us more about that?
Of course! I created “EME” in 2021, which stands for my children Emile, Madeleine, Elisa. It’s an organization that helps teachers run activities in French for both children and adults. We do things like dancing, yoga or art, and the goal is to help people learn French in a fun way rather than the conventional book-based way. That can be a bit rigid and boring. Together with a friend, I’m founding another non-profit association called la Ruche Hambourg. In
English, that would translate to “Beehive Hamburg” – and the idea behind it is diligence and activity. It’s an association for Frenchspeaking women that offers networking and mentoring opportunities to support professional development. The women help each other by sharing their knowledge and exchanging experiences – even advice on how to start a business.
La Ruche was first founded in Shanghai and now there’s also a la Ruche in Munich. Soon, there will be one in Hamburg.
How would you describe yourself?
I like to learn about different cultural behaviors and conventions, I’m open to new things and I’m tolerant. If I see a problem, I try to find a solution to it. I’m normally a very energetic person, but my youngest daughter is two right now, so I feel more like an 80-year-old because I’m so sleepdeprived! As you can imagine, this means I’m drinking a ton of coffee these days.My motto is: “You don’t have the right to complain if you don’t bother to do anything. Take action, create!” I take things into my own hands in life and am very much a doer when it comes to problem-solving – but because I’m French, I sometimes still like to complain about things!
