Laura Schick

PARTNER

With more than 20 years of experience in People Management, I combine strategic HR expertise with hands-on implementation, digital transformation and a clear focus on the people behind every organization. My professional journey has taken me through a variety of organizations and industries – from consulting and the cultural and museum sector to group-wide responsibility for People Management within an international industrial company.

Throughout my career, one conviction has repeatedly proven true: Good People Management must fit the organization. Not every company needs the same systems, processes or structures. What matters is understanding the actual needs, building on existing strengths and developing solutions that work not only on paper, but in everyday business.

I do not see People Management as a purely administrative function. A modern HR organization is a service provider, consultant and partner to employees, managers and executive leadership. It creates structures, provides reliable information and enables people to perform at their best.

“The best solution is not the theoretically perfect one. It is the solution that fits the company, its people and its possibilities – and works in practice.”

<Executive & People Management Experience

Most recently, I served as Vice President People Management at the LINHARDT Group, where I was responsible for the strategic and operational direction of People Management across multiple locations. My responsibilities covered the full spectrum of modern HR – from workforce planning and recruiting to people development, payroll, labor law, HR controlling, data management and digitalization.

A particular focus of my work was the transformation and digitalization of People Management. This included the implementation and further development of modern HR systems, the restructuring of employee data and the establishment of KPIs and management dashboards. The objective was to provide managers and decision-makers with reliable information at all times while making administrative processes simpler and more transparent for employees and managers alike.

One major milestone was the implementation of a central HR platform. Within eight months, key HR processes were transferred from the initial concept through to go-live onto a shared digital foundation. This significantly reduced isolated solutions and manual reporting, improved data quality and introduced new self-service capabilities.

At the same time, I have always placed a strong emphasis on the development of people and organizations. By expanding a company-wide academy, we established new structures for onboarding, qualification, employee development and leadership development. Recruiting and onboarding processes were further professionalized, while People Management increasingly evolved into a strategic partner within the organization.

Before joining LINHARDT, I spent more than 15 years at Universalmuseum Joanneum GmbH in Graz, most recently as Head of Staff Unit People Development. My responsibilities included recruiting, employee and leadership development as well as occupational health management. Working within the complex environment of a cultural and museum organization shaped my understanding of how important tailored solutions are – particularly when organizations operate with unique structures, limited resources and diverse stakeholder interests.

Alongside earlier stages of my career, I also worked as an independent consultant, focusing on topics including the professionalization of HR, people development and HR marketing.

Today, I bring these different perspectives together in my consulting work: strategic People Management experience, hands-on implementation expertise and a deep understanding of data and digital transformation.

My approach is not simply to analyze an organization and hand over a list of recommendations. I want to understand where a company really stands: Which structures and systems are already in place? How do existing processes work? How is data organized? What do employees and managers need? Where are the strengths – and where is there a genuine need for action?

Based on this understanding, we develop solutions that fit the individual organization – from analysis, workshops and concept development through to implementation and interim management.

Because successful transformation does not begin with a new tool. It begins with a solid data foundation, effective processes and people who understand and embrace change.