Who are you and what is your role at Vetter?
My name is Dilek Akguen. I was born in 1977 in Offenburg, and I've been working at Vetter since 2003. I was a laboratory chemist for 19 years and I am now in QC Process Check.
How did you end up working for Vetter?
I‘ve worked in the pharmaceutical industry before, and it was love that led me to this region. My husband is from Austria, I come from the Black Forest, and we decided to settle down somewhere in between, in Lindau. I hadn’t known about Vetter, but was really delighted to find such a large company in the area. I applied for a job and was successful right away.
What’s your perspective on the topic of “diversity” at Vetter?
I see it first thing when I arrive at work. My team is very diverse and international: We have people from India, Colombia, Poland, Sri Lanka, to name a few. We get on very well and find how we interact with another to be highly rewarding.
It is important to be open with each other, to set aside prejudices and to build bridges.
Dilek Akguen, Employee QC Process Check
Has a particular “diversity moment” stood out to you?
After giving birth to my daughter, I decided to start wearing a headscarf. I am a practicing Muslim and I wanted to delve deeper into my religion. It was a bit disconcerting for my colleagues at the time, and some surely thought that my husband was forcing me to wear it. Which is absolutely not true. It was a decision that I made freely from the heart, all by myself. And it didn't take long for others to notice: She is still our Dilek after all. What probably helped is the fact that I have no problem with talking about and explaining my decision.
What role does diversity play in your private life?
A big one. Starting with the fact that I am the classic example of a child of migrant workers. And that my family is quite multinational. For example, one of my brothers is married to a Hungarian and the other one was married to a Palestinian. Many nations come and go at our home: My children have friends from all around the world. And they’re growing up speaking four languages, which is quite amazing!
What suggestions do you have for making diversity a success?
It is important to be open with each other, to set aside prejudices and to build bridges. If we manage to see people for who they are, we will realize that despite diversity and all our differences, there is one thing that connects us all: We are all human.
We are diversity
We at Vetter stand for diversity, equal rights, and equal opportunities. We are convinced: It is our diversity that makes us strong.