“I was immediately part of the team” 

Amelie Strunk is a senior consultant at 4flow in Rüsselsheim, Germany. She studied business administration with a focus on logistics and production management and joined 4flow immediately after graduating. In this interview, she shares what draws her to supply chain, why she immediately felt at home at 4flow, and how she supports other young supply chain talent with the 4flow challenge competition for students. 

How did you get your start at 4flow?  
A friend of mine started at 4flow a year before me and kept telling me how great the culture and the projects were. It was clear to me that I wanted to apply to 4flow. And luckily, I was offered a job.  

Your degree had a strong focus on supply chain. What draws you to the industry? 
I always found it exciting to see how everything in a supply chain is connected. If you push one lever, the whole network can change or even work better. Our daily life only works because complex supply chains work seamlessly in the background – from groceries to cell phones and all sorts of things. In a supply chain lecture at university, I had an “aha” moment and knew this is my thing.  

What were your first days at 4flow like? 
In my first week, I went to one of our Women in Consulting events. I met most of the other female consultants and was immediately treated as part of the team. Working on projects, I got to take responsibility right away and learned a lot very quickly. And I always had my project lead and my supervisor supporting me.  

You’re also involved in the 4flow challenge. Can you tell us more about that? 
The 4flow challenge gives students the chance to get a first-hand look at everyday life as a consultant. They can put what they’re learning at university into practice and get to know 4flow as a potential employer. I’m involved in the overall organization of the competition and coordinate between marketing, HR and consulting. Last year, I supported the challenge as a mentor for one of the competing teams. It was so much fun that I wanted to take on even more responsibility this year. 

Can you give a sneak peek at this year’s competition? 
The case study is about designing a distribution network that’s resilient to the political, environmental and other uncertainties in today’s world. Competitors will identify risks for a semiconductor business and make decisions to boost the network’s resilience. It’s a very current topic and similar to the work we do with our real-world customers.  

The competition is also a great opportunity for students to expand their networks in the world of supply chain consulting. In addition to solving the case study, there’ll be plenty of time to connect with 4flow consultants and other students with similar interests. And as part of our initiative to support women in consulting, we plan to offer female participants individual mentoring sessions with experienced female consultants.  

What would you tell students who are interested in the 4flow challenge? 
Just go for it. I believe that’s the best way to start in consulting: Jump in head-first. You’ll learn more as you go. And at 4flow, you always have a great team at your side to support you.