Patrick, how did you discover your passion for beekeeping?
It was a coincidence. As a Senior Innovation Manager I worked in a project with the start-up BeeAndme.com. This company produces baby monitors for bees to monitor their health. The idea behind it is to bring technology and sustainable beekeeping together to positively influence the environment and support biodiversity. I’ve always found bees interesting but this project was the initiator of my passion and also the start of my own beekeeping project with twenty bee colonies.
What does it take to be a good beekeeper?
Bees are easy to take care of as they are mostly self-sufficient. I am with my bees once a week to check if they are safe and sound, if they have enough food, if the queen laid eggs and of course to see how much honey they produced. The first batch of honey was something very special. A year of work with countless hours all paid off in the end. It tastes very different. It’s a great motivation to see that other colleagues are excited about the Magenta Beekeeping initiative and have become beekeepers themselves. Our initiative brings Telekom beekeepers together and gives them the chance to exchange and share their knowledge. Meanwhile more than 250 employees actively support the bee project within the Green Pioneers network.
How does your hobby inspire you in your work?
Beekeeping means understanding the historical and the conventional methods but also discovering new ways. The same goes for my work in the T-Systems innovation area. It is about looking at a project from different perspectives. For me the contrast between digital ICT Management and sustainable beekeeping is really exciting. If you will, I’m a nerd who also does beekeeping and I’m very lucky to be able to work in my hobby.