Around 150 students successfully complete their studies in Information Systems at the University of Münster every year and then pursue extremely diverse career paths. One of them is Daniela Bücker, who, after completing her diploma studies in Information Systems at the University of Münster, initially worked in various international consulting firms in Germany and Switzerland before joining GAD, now Atruvia, in 2007. Daniela Bücker’s career at GAD began as Head of Resource Management and Quality Assurance. Over the following years, she held various positions at the IT service provider, which specializes in cooperative banks, Raiffeisen banks, as well as other companies and central institutions of the cooperative financial group. Daniela Bücker now looks back on more than twenty years of professional and leadership experience. Since October 2020, the diploma-holder in Information Systems has been part of the executive team at Atruvia, overseeing the "Core Banking & Technology" division. Since October 2023, she has also been a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Business & Economic. In the interview, we learn more about Daniela Bücker's everyday work and her time at the School of Business & Economics.

Dear Ms. Bücker, since 2020 you have been a part of the executive board of Atruvia, where you are responsible for the "Core Banking & Technology" division. What are the central tasks of this division?

First, let me provide some information about the company itself: Atruvia is the digitalization partner in the Cooperative FinanzGruppe. Our IT solutions and services tailored specifically for banks range from data center operations to our banking procedures to app development. The significance of the company is best illustrated by numbers: Our customers include more than a thousand banks, including all German cooperative banks and Raiffeisen banks. We manage 85 million accounts with 8.2 billion transactions per year and 154,000 bank workstations. My division, "Core Banking & Technology," is responsible for the core banking system - it sounds complicated, but everyone with a bank account comes into contact with it: essential elements include payments, documents, and all functionalities related to the account. Additionally, all questions related to accounting, reporting, and controlling in banks fall within my division. Furthermore, we are responsible for the technical basis of what Atruvia offers its customers in terms of services.

After completing your studies in Information Systems, you initially worked as a consultant before joining GAD. What particularly appealed to you about the financial technology market back then, and what still appeals to you about this market today?

At the end of my studies, I had no idea what I wanted to do in which sector; I had a great curiosity for various tasks and markets. Therefore, starting my career in management consulting was just right for me. I was able to learn a lot, work with different teams, and gain diverse experiences. Then I took on a project at what was then GAD, now Atruvia. Many things clicked here: interesting technical challenges, working in the cooperative FinanzGruppe, which fascinated me, and a culture where I wanted to contribute something. And that is still true after seventeen years.

What advice would you give to today's students of Information Systems?

I think the most important thing is to learn how to learn best. I took this skill from my studies and still benefit from it in my everyday work, especially since we constantly have to embrace new things and evolve. Additionally, practical experience is important - whether through part-time jobs or internships. And finally, it helps to work and learn in teams. Working alone is much harder than being involved in study groups. Also, learning in a community is much more enjoyable, and you can take away a lot from these teams for your future professional life.

What moment of your studies has stayed with you the most to this day?

Oh, there are so many. I would have liked to mention the accounting lectures with Dr. Issel, but those moments were already mentioned by one of my "predecessors." I sometimes skipped the first lecture of the following day after parties the night before. Since there were very few women in Information Systems, the lecturers regularly noticed: "So, where were you this morning?"

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