RiseUP: Leadership Development and Collaboration at Sunrise

Can you share your experience as a participant in the RiseUP programme? How has it affected your leadership style and approach?

Emma: Participating in the RiseUP programme has sharpened my vision and goals for my department and refined how I communicate, creating greater clarity and alignment within my teams and with stakeholders. I’ve improved my listening skills and actively engage in conversations to foster mutual understanding and agreement.

Florian: I’m always interested in improving my leadership skills, not just for my own success but also because I have the feeling that I owe this to my team members. The special thing about RiseUP is that we’re doing it together with other leaders, which helps us to prioritise the time and be together on the journey.

Emma Page, Vice President B2B Customer Excellence

In what specific ways has the RiseUP programme helped you address real business challenges and enhance cross-functional collaboration within your teams?

E: The Strategy in Action workshops offered by RiseUP were fundamental. They helped me learn how to focus on the diverse priorities and perspectives within my team, which had previously been overlooked.

F: RiseUP helped me to extend my internal network. It also carved out time in my busy schedule to focus again on my leadership learning journey.

Florian Wäschle, Head of Delivery Shared Services

Could you highlight a particular success story or achievement resulting from your participation in the RiseUP programme? How did the programme contribute to this success?

E: A notable achievement from my RiseUP journey was during a recent all-hands meeting, where I used insights from the Strategy in Action workshop to clarify my team’s objectives, connect them to the overall B2B strategy and emphasise the importance of cross-functional collaboration.

F: For me the RiseUP programme and the associated investment in improving leadership didn’t necessarily lead to one single success. I see it more as a toolbox which grows and pays out continuously every day. I want to thank those who make RiseUP possible!

How have you applied what you’ve learned from RiseUP, such as establishing an inspiring vision, empowering teams and fostering a coaching style, in your day-to-day leadership role?

E: While I’ve always viewed myself as an empowering leader, the programme helped me resist the urge to jump straight to solutions — a habit that was intensified during the pandemic. This allowed me to focus more on coaching my direct reports and fostering ownership among all the team members. This shift boosted job satisfaction and contributed to our collective success.

F: I naturally try always to solve problems as fast as possible by identifying a solution. By simply changing to asking questions only, I created a new superpower: keeping responsibility within the team and empowering team members by asking the right questions. Sometimes I can’t hold my solution approaches back but I’m getting better every day!