Sascha, VP Finance – Getsafe People
Sascha is at home in the world of startups. As VP Finance at Getsafe, he’s a problem solver with a positive attitude above all else
Hi Sascha! You’ve been at Getsafe almost since day 1. How did you start?
That’s right, I was one of the first full-time employees at Getsafe ever. Before that, I lived in Berlin and was a founder myself. That didn’t quite work out, but I was completely fascinated by the startup environment. I knew I wanted to continue working in this field and I was always going to do something with finance. I also liked fintech, and I found Getsafe via a tech magazine. The mission sounded exciting and I was onboarded within two weeks!
What is it that you like about the startup scene so much?
I generally enjoy the possibility of creating something new and building it up from scratch. This also means challenging the status quo and really making a change. I like the kick of it and all of the energy that comes with working at a startup – that’s an essential difference from big corporations. I also especially like insurtechs because I’ve had that disheartening experience – of sitting in my parents’ living room with a broker and getting lost in all of the outdated input. Customers deserve a far better solution and we at Getsafe are shaping it.
What’s your role in a few words?
My primary responsibilities are account and controlling. This also means creating reports for external stakeholders, planning audits and budgeting. But I’m also really interested in continuously improving our processes and expediting automations.
How do you put your passions into your job?
I consider myself a generalist. I think I could work in other areas of the company as well. But I have a knack for numbers and paying attention to detail. And I actually like the pressure of keeping up with all the deadlines that come with my job. Many other people would probably hate that (laughs).
Are you a rather spontaneous person or do you prefer planning ahead?
I think I’m spontaneous. From a professional standpoint, you definitely have to bring a certain flexibility and spontaneity to the table in order to work at a startup. I also enjoy being spontaneous in my personal life. When I travel, for example, I usually book the flight and the first hotel, and then I go from there once I arrive. This has actually worked out well in the past, because there’s always a solution. That’s one of the most exciting things about startups as well. I like saying this to applicants – more problems may come up, but in my entire time at Getsafe, we have always found a solution for all of them.
Good to hear that your team is led by such a problem solver! What do you think your colleagues feel is your best and your most annoying quality?
My most annoying trait is probably that I’m impatient at times. I like doing things in an instant and when I need something soon, I don’t shy away from communicating that clearly. One of my best qualities, I think, is that I’m always there for my team. They know they can always come to me with a problem so that we can work on it together. I’m an optimist and I also want to set a good example with that. We all work better if I’m able to project my positive attitude to my team. This should be an obvious thing to do for people in leadership roles.
What do you want to do once Covid is over?
Go on a cool vacation! It’s been almost one and a half years since unrestricted travel was possible. And I also want to have lots of fun times with the team face to face again.
Last question: What piece of advice would you give to your 10 year-old self?
Definitely get a good education and spend some time abroad during school, or directly after! And if you think you have a great idea on your hands and a team to realize it, get right into it. I would probably also tell myself to do an internship in a startup before becoming a founder. If I had done that, I probably could have avoided some mistakes that came up.
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