Bank of America Corporate Center
Events
Women Series - Crossing Borders: Empowering Expat Spouses in the Workplace
Share
Speaker
Speaker
Location
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 N Tryon Street, 60th Floor
28202
Charlotte
USA
Show place in map
Event Language
English
Member: Free
Non-Member: $40
Event Start
07/11/2024 · 04:00 PM
Event End
07/11/2024 · 06:30 PM
EST
Sponsors

Empowering Expat Spouses in the Workforce

Are you a partner of someone working in a German subsidiary? Have you faced challenges continuing your career after moving to the U.S.? Do you have expats in your company? Do you need German-speaking talents?

Then this event is for you. Moving to another continent isn’t a walk in the park for anyone - women and men alike - so we invite all men and women to join this special event acknowledging and applauding both sides for making sacrifices when going on this journey.

Many women have had to give up their hard-earned career achievements in their home countries and struggle to find opportunities which align with their qualifications. At this event you will not only hear from those ladies who have overcome the obstacles and continued to thrive after a major life change, but we will have major manufacturers in the Carolinas join force with us to foster connections and highlighting job opportunities within German subsidiaries.

Whether you're actively job hunting, or expanding your network, or a company that could use talents, join us to empower women in their careers!

Sponsored by

Speaker

Bertina Brase

Bertina Brase earned a German MBA (Dipl.-Kauffrau at the University of Göttingen) and works as an Executive Recruiter for German Companies in the US since 2005. Her focus area is senior management positions in midsize subsidiaries of German, Austrian and Swiss parent companies (the DACH region).

Bertina grew up in Germany and worked there until she relocated with her family in the ‘90ties to the US and has since lived in various regions of the country. Due to her broad experience, she understands the nuances of cultural diversity.

Her 30+ years’ experience in a variety of positions, on the agency and the client side, enables her to advise clients on the HR side as well finding people with the right fit and requirement to be successful in the US markets.

Mrs. Brase advises middle market companies out of the DACH region, often directly to the owner.

Daisy Birtalan

Daisy Birtalan, Director of the German Desk, part of the Global Services group, is a US-Austrian attorney and uses her European background, German language skills and professional experience to assist the firm’s European-based clients, focusing on German-speaking clients, in their endeavors to enter, invest, and do business in the United States. In addition, Daisy serves as a liaison between the European based clients, prospective clients, and the firm’s international business attorneys. Daisy understands the challenges and protocols of doing business in the United States and Europe, and supports the firm’s clients with relationship-building, strategic advice, and business network development.

Verena Martin

Mrs. Martin has gained over 25 years of experience working in various industries and roles
in Austria and the USA. She started her career in print media at Kronen Zeitung in Vienna
and continued at RTL and Bertelsmann upon moving to NYC in 2001.
In 2005, Mrs. Martin moved to Charlotte, where she gained experience in human resources
and later began her entrepreneurial journey. In 2014, she co-founded VRG Components,
growing it into a successful global B2B semiconductor distribution business that achieved
AS9120B and ISO 9001:2015 certifications. Under her leadership, VRG Components has
been recognized three times as one of INC 5000’s Fastest Growing Private Companies,
twice as one of the Best Workplaces by INC Magazine, and as a Top 50 Electronics
Distributor on the Supply Chain Connect list.
With a strategic mindset and exceptional problem-solving skills, Mrs. Martin embodies
inclusive leadership and cultural understanding. Her professional ethos is mirrored in her
personal life, where she and her Mexican-American husband and business partner raise
their 10-year-old son in a trilingual household.
Mrs. Martin's dedication to philanthropy is evident through her support of various causes,
including the Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, Project Eden/Adelante in Honduras, and
charity: water.
In her spare time, Mrs. Martin enjoys playing golf, piano, skiing, and traveling with her
family.
Mrs. Martin's journey exemplifies resilience, strategic vision, and a commitment to making
a positive impact, inspiring growth and innovation while contributing meaningfully to the
community and prioritizing her team.

Katharina Tschurtschenthaler

Katharina Tschurtschenthaler has a rich
background in marketing, media, and product
management, as well as specializing in yoga
training for individuals and teams, managing the
nervous system, and achieving goals in both
professional and personal spheres.
Starting her career at Unilever, she transitioned
into brand and advertising management at the
Coca-Cola Company in Austria, serving as the
Senior Brand Manager for Lights & Flavors and
later for the Water business. During her tenure
from April 2011 to March 2015, she led brand
management, budget, P&L, and personnel for the
company. She managed a cross-functional team
of over 30 members, developed business plans,
coordinated with R&D for product innovation, and
executed media and PR campaigns.
During this time, she also began teaching at FH
Steyr, sharing advanced marketing knowledge to
help young professionals grow, and instructing
courses in Marketing and Electronic Business.
In April 2015, she became the Head of Advertising
at Red Bull in Germany. There, she oversaw media
planning, budgeting, and personnel management
while developing annual media strategies based
on market trends, focusing on digital
transformation and online strategies.
Katharina shifted her focus towards wellness in
March 2019, founding Yoga Villa Steyr in Austria
and creating trees and stories Yoga Teacher
Trainings in March 2020.
In January 2023, Ms. Tschurtschenthaler founded
Mind & Body Mastery in the USA, where she now
manages the Yoga Alliance-certified 500-hour
Yoga Teacher Training program from. Her work
involves training individuals, leading teams,
managing the nervous system, and helping clients
achieve their personal and professional goals.

Christian Tschurtschenthaler

Mr. Tschurtschenthaler has gained over 20 years of experience working on several
projects during his time with the BMW Group. He started his career in technical
planning at MINI Plant Oxford, in the UK, and continued to the engine factory in Steyr,
Austria. In 2010, Mr. Tschurtschenthaler came to BMW Plant Spartanburg in South
Carolina as the lead responsible for the technical planning realization phase for the
second assembly hall. This led to 10 years in product development and overall
product responsibility for the BMW Luxury Class, which includes the BMW 7 Series, iX
and the X models produced in South Carolina.
In 2022, Mr. Tschurtschenthaler returned to his planning roots at Plant Spartanburg.
Due to a rapidly changing automotive industry, the challenges he now faces to meet
customer expectations requires more flexibility, creativity, and adaptability in product
development and production processes than before.

Back to list