“Laura combines international experience with deep knowledge of the German market, strong networks, and a proven track record of helping clients accelerate digital transformation. She has successfully led large teams and growth initiatives across industries, bringing exactly the kind of expertise we need as Germany is a key growth market for HiQ and central to our ambition of becoming a European tech leader,” says Peter Arrhenius, Group CEO of HiQ.
Laura most recently led sales for Accenture’s Adobe business in EMEA, covering advisory, system integration, and managed services. She has also held senior leadership roles at T-Systems, Cognizant, and Adobe, with responsibility for large-scale sales and transformation programs across industries.
“At HiQ, I immediately felt a strong match in culture, values, and people. HiQ also has an impressive breadth of skills and innovative projects across industries, from AI and software development to connected products and digital platforms. My focus will be on strengthening our presence in the German market and expanding client relationships, while working closely with colleagues across Europe to create real impact for our customers,” says Laura Vantellini, Managing Director of HiQ Germany.
Laura formally assumed her role as Managing Director of HiQ Germany on September 1, 2025.
How to Avoid Being Among the Losers
Lessons from MIT’s Report
MIT’s NANDA initiative has analyzed over 300 AI implementations. The conclusion: successful companies share a common approach – they choose a clear pain point, execute quickly, and build partnerships instead of trying to develop everything in-house.
Those who fail often invest heavily in their own internal solutions that never truly become part of everyday operations.
“We often see companies building too big and focusing too much on the technology. AI works best when it’s woven into workflows and solves a concrete problem,” says Perslow.
From Hype to Real Value
At HiQ, Sofie Perslow and her team work to break this trend. The key is to start small, but with the right structure.
“We often tell our clients: choose an area that really matters. A bottleneck in customer service, a heavy process in back office, or a recurring error that creates rework. If you apply AI there, the value becomes visible right away,” she says.
MIT’s report points to the same pattern: the biggest returns are not found in sales and marketing – where much of today’s AI budgets are spent – but in back office and administrative processes that are repetitive and resource-intensive.
“It may not be as glamorous as building new automated sales tools or generating marketing material, but this is where companies can first and foremost free up resources and strengthen competitiveness in a real way,” says Sofie.
How to Become One of the Five Percent
What separates the winners from the rest? According to Sofie, it comes down to five things:
- Focus on what you want to achieve, then choose technology, method, and tools accordingly – measure and follow up.
- Integrate AI into workflows; AI that’s used daily makes a difference, not experiments in the lab.
- Build partnerships; invest in proven solutions and bring in experts rather than reinventing the wheel.
- Do the groundwork properly. Without good, accessible data and clear processes, success is unlikely.
- Start small and test where you can create value, then scale up to make a real impact.
“With this approach, we see that even large organizations can succeed in AI transformation and increase their chances of being among the winners,” says Sofie.
The Next Wave: Agentic AI
Already today, the most advanced organizations are testing the next generation of AI – so-called agentic AI – where systems can remember, learn, and act independently within defined parameters.
Finally, Sofie Perslow warns against being discouraged by the report’s findings.
“Waiting or abstaining from implementing AI where it can make a difference is not an option if you want to build a sustainable business going forward. As with all major shifts and changes, it takes time to learn – but it’s only by trying and testing that the real lessons can come.”
Why social intranets are the key to better workplace collaboration
A workplace in transition
Just as the world of work is changing, so is collaboration in the workplace. Remote work, artificial intelligence, digital tools – many things that are now an integral part of your everyday working life were just visions of the future a few years ago. Despite attempts by some companies to bring their employees back into the office, over 23% of all employees in Germany were still regularly working from home in 2023, according to the German Federal Statistical Office.
On the one hand, these developments have many benefits for you as an employee: less time spent commuting, more flexibility and a better work-life balance. At the same time, changing working practices create new hurdles – especially when it comes to teamwork. We will now take a closer look at these obstacles.
Barriers that prevent effective collaboration
In many companies, teams no longer work in just one place, but are spread out — sometimes all over the world. This means for you: You work in a team not only with colleagues on site or in your home office, but often also with people in other cities, countries or time zones. This makes daily communication much more difficult.
Of course, there are now a variety of digital tools for collaboration. But even this can quickly become a challenge – namely when these tools are not coordinated with each other or entire teams and departments rely on their own preferred solutions. The result: agreements become unclear, goals are difficult to achieve and there is no central point of contact to provide information in a structured way. Gaps in knowledge emerge and you spend a lot of time searching for the right information or contact persons.
But your day-to-day work doesn’t have to be this chaotic. With a modern social intranet collaboration in your team can be organized effectively – structured, transparent and accessible for everyone.
Social intranets – ready for the future
When it comes to intranets, many people still think of outdated information systems with boring texts and bulky navigation. But modern social intranets are much more than that: they bring teams together, simplify communication and workflows – and increase your productivity at the same time.
A social intranet such as Mantra for Confluence becomes a central hub where you can get in touch with colleagues, access informations and get involved. You receive all the news and updates that are relevant to you in one place. You can participate directly via discussion formats, surveys or comments, post your own entries and share successes with others.
The integrated employee directory helps you to find the right contact person for a topic at any time – and to identify the right experts for your next project. Information and knowledge are stored in a structured way and can be found at any time. This gives you access exactly when you need it – no matter where you are working.
Mantra – your social intranet for Confluence
Modern communication needs a cutting-edge user experience – intuitive, visual and interactive. Mantra is therefore based on the interfaces and mechanisms that you are already familiar with from social networks: clear structures, visual storytelling, simple participation.
Instead of dry intranet pages, Mantra offers a vibrant, attractively designed environment that makes information easily accessible and actively involves employees. The foundation remains Confluence – supplemented by exactly those functions that noticeably improve your day-to-day work.
Want to improve the visual design of all your Confluence pages? Then try using Aura macros to format your content. Aura also works perfectly with Mantra. Thanks to the following advantages, you can take off with your Mantra Social Internet:
1. Fully integrated into Confluence – the beating heart of the company
Mantra integrates seamlessly into existing Confluence instances and brings together everything you need for your day-to-day work: from the knowledge platform and project documentation to the social intranet. You and your team have access to all relevant functions with just one log-in. The mantra dashboard becomes your new start page, where you always have all the information at your fingertips. This makes Confluence more attractive again and a real focal point for your company.
2. Customizable dashboards – relevance instead of information overload
Every team works differently – and Mantra takes this into account. Individually configurable dashboards provide everyone with exactly the content that is relevant to them: the latest news, project progress, team updates or upcoming events. This reduces search times and focuses attention on the essentials.
3. Organized knowledge management – storing and sharing knowledge reliably
With Mantra, Confluence becomes your company’s knowledge center. Content can be logically structured, easily searched and collaboratively edited. This means that no valuable knowledge is lost – and new colleagues can find their way around more quickly.
4. Real participation – through news, events and surveys
Engagement is not created by information alone, but through interaction. Integrated news formats, event pages, feedback functions and surveys bring communication to life – and all employees can play an active role. This strengthens team spirit, boosts identification with the company and improves the feedback culture.
5. Integration of external content and tools – everything in one place
Whether internal systems, external services or tools such as Jira and Trello – Mantra links them directly into the intranet. Dashboards, reports and surveys can be easily integrated. This creates a central platform with a holistic view of your company’s working environment.
6. Consistent design and corporate branding – the right look and feel
Thanks to extensive customization options, Mantra fully reflects your corporate design: from the logo to the color scheme and typography to the terminology. This strengthens identification with the platform and increases employee acceptance.
7. Communities, social posts and celebrating successes – connections that matter
Mantra also gives you the opportunity to get in touch with colleagues from different company locations and exchange ideas. You can write posts, exchange ideas in a community and thanks to the birthday and anniversary calendar, you won’t miss any important dates. Successes can also be shared with others and receive the attention they deserve. All in all, Mantra helps to bring your team together on a more personal level.
Conclusion: collaboration needs structure, visibility and participation
In a business world that is increasingly networked, decentralized and dynamic, more than just individual tools are needed. You need a central platform that combines communication, transparency and orientation – which is exactly what Mantra does for Confluence.
Regardless of whether you want to connect people, make knowledge accessible or promote participation: With Mantra, you create a digital environment that really makes collaboration possible – open, structured and visually appealing.
Are you curious? Then discover how Mantra can take your teamwork to the next level – we look forward to hearing from you!
Hi Atlassian friends!
Join us for a special Atlassian Community gathering on Wednesday, 17 September 2025 at the beautiful rooftop of HiQ GmbH, Balanstraße 73/Haus 10, 81541 München.
This is your chance to connect with fellow Atlassian Community members from across Munich (and beyond) in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We’ll enjoy good conversations, share tips and experiences about Atlassian tools, and simply have a great time together.
And what’s a rooftop event without some delicious BBQ? We’ll be firing up the grill with a tasty selection for everyone – including a vegetarian option for our non-meat eaters. And don’t forget to bring your favourite summer outfit or summery Atlassian swag.
Details:
📅 Date: 17 September 2025
🕕 Time: 17:00 onwards
📍 Location: HiQ GmbH, Balanstraße 73/Haus 10, 81541 München (Rooftop)
🍽 Food & Drinks: BBQ with vegetarian option included
🤝 Networking: Meet Atlassian Community members, share knowledge, and have fun
Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy good food, good company, and great views over Munich while connecting with people who share your passion for Atlassian products.
We look forward to seeing you there!
You can register for free via this link.
See you soon,
Beni, Yassin, Hannes & Max
