From apprentice to manager

Sarah Berner’s career at the Geberit plant in the Austrian town of Pottenbrunn is going from strength to strength. From her initial role as apprentice, she has now become a well-respected production manager.

Sarah Berner from Austria has been fascinated by technology ever since she was young. Aged 14, she decided to train as a machine mechanic at Geberit in Pottenbrunn. She learned a lot about product material characteristics and the effect of physical forces – and loves finding out about things like this and being able to interpret them.

Hard work gets results

The fact that only 12 girls were among the some 300 students didn’t matter to the determined and confident Sarah Berner. “Anyone who keeps their chin up and earns the necessary respect will be noticed,” she says.

Her stellar career at Geberit demonstrates this perfectly. For seven years, she worked nights as a machine fitter, where – among other tasks – she was responsible for refitting and process optimisation of the injection moulding machines used to manufacture plastic parts. During this time, she also took part in further training as plant manager in mechanical engineering and automation technology.

When she was offered the position as production manager, she said yes immediately – and all despite being a young mother. Thanks to the parental leave in Austria and the support of her partner, flexible childcare was possible. Since then, she has headed up a team that not only manufactures products for sanitary applications, but also plays an active role in improving processes. She has never regretted taking this career step. Her fascination for technology remains to this day.