“Why not? It could be great.”

A willingness to embrace change, a curiosity for new perspectives and a role connecting two corporate worlds: Carl-David von Busse, known to everyone as Calle, has moved from Düsseldorf to the San Francisco Bay Area. As Director Governance & Integration at ERGO NEXT Insurance, he is helping strengthen the connection between NEXT and ERGO. He talks about his international career, his new team and starting a new chapter with his wife Donata, their three boys and Chili the dog.

Your motto is “Why not? It could be great.” When did that become a move to California?

That sums up quite well how I approach decisions. But joining ERGO NEXT Insurance was much more than an exciting personal opportunity. Above all, it was a particularly interesting professional challenge.

With ERGO NEXT, ERGO has taken an important step into the US insurance market. The next challenge is bringing together two very different corporate worlds. This is precisely where I can contribute, drawing on my experience within ERGO’s international organisation and my current role as Director Governance & Integration: helping drive the integration forward, bringing different perspectives together and making processes and collaboration work more smoothly. What I find particularly exciting is that we’re not simply managing existing structures. We’re helping build something new that matters to both ERGO NEXT and ERGO.

And having the opportunity to live in the US again and really get to know California together as a family makes it all the more special. Of course, you do not make a decision like this on your own. Donata is every bit as curious about discovering new places and meeting new people. So for us, the decision became clear pretty quickly: Why not? Let’s do it.

What is it that appeals to you about your role at ERGO NEXT – and about ERGO as the employer behind it?

One key factor was Rachel Jrade-Rice, ERGO NEXT’s General Counsel and now my manager. During the transaction, we initially sat on opposite sides of the negotiating table. Later, we worked closely together within ERGO’s international legal network, and today I’m part of her team.

Rachel impressed me from the outset with her personality, energy and ability to get things moving. She is someone I can learn a great deal from, both professionally and personally, and the prospect of working with her played an important part in my decision.

Just as important is ERGO NEXT itself: its speed, agility, digital products and short decision-making paths. ERGO, meanwhile, brings the experience and resources of an international insurance group. What makes my role particularly exciting is helping integrate ERGO NEXT into the ERGO world while preserving the entrepreneurial pace and distinctive culture that make it special.

What does your everyday life in California look like – and how does it differ from Germany?

In many ways, everyday life here is more informal than in Germany, including at work. That certainly does not mean people work any less intensely. Quite the opposite: ERGO NEXT moves fast, decision-making paths are short and people take a very pragmatic approach. At the same time, I find people remarkably open and welcoming. It is easy to strike up a conversation, and people naturally reach out to one another. I really enjoy that combination of energy and an easy-going way of interacting.

In California, so much of life happens outdoors: exercise, meals, meeting friends or going on family outings. At the office, my day usually starts with Jawa, our barista and my new favourite “office buddy”. He makes what is probably the best flat white in the Bay Area on his little espresso machine.

The downside is the cost of living, particularly here in the Bay Area. A trip to the supermarket is a quick reminder that sunshine, outdoor living and California’s laid-back lifestyle come at a price.

How did the move itself go – and what does this step mean for your family?

An international move with five people and a golden retriever is never entirely straightforward. Visas, schools, housing, insurance, cars, bank accounts and the move itself: the list of things to organise seems to get longer rather than shorter. ERGO gave us a great deal of support with the big issues, including visas, relocation and shipping our belongings. Professional support and dedicated contacts make an enormous difference. Just as important, though, is having a family that is excited about the adventure too. Donata brings a wonderful mix of openness, curiosity and calm to it all. We all had already spent a year living in Chicago and absolutely loved it. Back then, our three boys were between one and six years old, so it was quite an undertaking, especially as we moved there in January. At least California has made the weather side of this move a little easier!

Of course, not everything goes to plan. Our furniture is still somewhere between Germany and California. With most of it yet to arrive, we sometimes eat on the floor, the boys do some of their homework there too and we have had to get creative with the beds. But those are minor details in the bigger picture. Donata and the boys have embraced this new chapter with such openness and good humour. The children are happy at their new school, we have already settled in really well, and even Chili made it through the long flight just fine. We all feel very much at home. Once the container turns up, we can officially declare the move complete.

At the same time, we miss family and friends in Germany – with a nine-hour time difference, even a spontaneous phone call isn’t easy. But we’re experiencing an incredible amount of new things together and growing as a family through this step.

You’ve lived abroad several times. What role have these moves played in your career?

Living abroad has always shaped me. I spent eight years in Italy with my family as a child. Later, I attended an American high school for a year and spent more than a year working at a US law firm in Chicago. Starting afresh, adapting to a new environment and discovering new things became part of my life early on.

Looking back, my best career decisions have often taken me outside my comfort zone: from a major international corporate law firm in Berlin, via a stint at a US law firm in Chicago, to a Berlin start-up; then on to a major insurance group in Düsseldorf and now ERGO NEXT in California. These environments could hardly be more different, and that is exactly what has made them so valuable. Without joining ERGO, I probably would never have had the opportunity to work for ERGO and NEXT in California today. Experiencing different worlds teaches you not only to see things differently, but also to bring them together.

How would you describe yourself – and what do you think your colleagues would say about you?

I’d say I’m curious, open and fairly uncomplicated. I like approaching people, enjoy getting to grips with new topics and environments and I like driving things forward without taking myself too seriously. Good working relationships, trust and a sense of humour matter a lot to me.

I hope colleagues would say that even with complex issues I try to bring different perspectives together, get to the heart of a problem fairly quickly and look for pragmatic solutions everyone can work with.

What really tests my patience? When things are made more complicated than they need to be, or decisions take a very long time. I like to see things move.

ERGO wants to encourage more colleagues to take up international assignments. What does it take – and what’s your personal advice?

From my point of view, three things are crucial. First, international assignments should be an obvious and visible part of a career at ERGO. Many colleagues probably don’t know how many exciting roles there are across ERGO’s international world.

Second, you have to think about the whole family: schools, housing, visas, your partner’s professional situation – these factors are just as important as the role itself when it comes to deciding.

Third, the process needs to be as straightforward as possible. An international move inevitably involves a lot of bureaucracy; the more that is absorbed through clear processes and dedicated contact persons, the easier the decision becomes.

My personal advice: if you get the opportunity – take it. Spending a longer period abroad broadens both your professional and personal horizons and changes how you see all the things you normally take for granted at home. And if you can bring your family along, it becomes a shared experience that goes far beyond the job.

Interview: Stefanie Neumann