Everyday professional: Ayten Ahmed

Ayten Ahmed: "I always want to keep growing!"

22.02.2024 — When she talks about the objects she looks after, Ayten Ahmed just gushes. She knows exactly what her customers need and puts it into practice.

It is no coincidence that Ayten Ahmed - 30 years young and working for Dussmann's commercial cleaning department in the North West region since 2022 - has become a property manager for two major clients within the space of a year. Firstly at a large online retailer in Bremen and, since August, at Unilever in Buxtehude.  

In November, Ayten Ahmed took her next career step: she is now a project manager. In future, she will manage all processes in her properties, together with new property managers that she will be recruiting. She will be responsible for budgets, checking the quality of services and introducing new projects.  

She learnt the foundations for her current success in her previous profession. She worked in the hotel industry for ten years, where she progressed from receptionist to hotel manager. However, her professional ambition was awakened as a child. 

A lollipop as a gift from heaven 

Ayten Ahmed's path was not an easy one. She was born in Bulgaria. Her father died when she was 7 years old. She didn't have much in her childhood: "I'll never forget the feeling I had when I was given a lollipop. That was a godsend for me," she says, "and it's this experience that spurs me on now. Despite my difficult life, I have great ambition and I want to keep growing. For myself - and for my children. So that I can give them everything I didn't have." 

She had her first daughter at the age of 16 and her second nine years later. She has always worked full-time - there was no other way to earn a living for the family. Ayten Ahmed came to Germany with her husband and children 13 years ago and had to start from scratch: a new city, a new language - and soon a new job at Dussmann.  

"The psychological aspect appeals to me" 

"I quickly realised at Dussmann that there were many parallels to my old job," says Ahmed. She was also helped by the support of Marc-André Witt, Head of Cleaning in the North West region. He quickly recognised her absolute customer focus and encouraged her in everything.  

"The psychological aspect of this job appealed to me right from the start. What can I do, what do I have to do, to make us a better service provider than the other companies in the eyes of the customer?" Ayden Ahmed now knows this very well: "You have to talk intensively with the customer during a project, realise their needs and then find a solution for them. It's the same with the employees: I'm always there for them, I have an open ear, sometimes I feel like a psychologist, a mum, a sister. All of this feels super, super good and I absolutely love doing it!"  

And there's something else she really enjoys doing: Ayten Ahmed has taken a profiling course. Here, she learns how to make quick and reliable scientific judgements about people and situations, based on the work of a real police case analyst. "I really enjoy it - and with this knowledge, I can see the customers' needs even better and meet them where they need it."