On 25 January 2024, mentees, mentors and other guests met for the BreakING fireside evening in the bentonite laboratory of the Chair of Tunnelling, Pipeline Construction and Construction Management, during which geotechnical engineer Dr Petra Drucker (CDM Smith, Munich) offered personal insights into her successful career path.

"Ken is nominated for an Oscar, but Barbie isn't?" - an excerpt from the current discussions surrounding the globally successful movie Barbie. Dr.-Ing. Britta Schößer, initiator of the BreakING mentoring program for female Master's students and Decentralized Equal Opportunities Officer of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, could not have introduced the "Chimney Talk" in a more fitting way. Former and current mentees and mentors as well as other invited guests were able to look forward to a cozy evening with exciting conversations.

As a special highlight of the event, geotechnical engineer Dr. Petra Drucker reported in her keynote speech on her career entry and career path as a female engineer in a male-dominated working environment. Starting in a small engineering office in Vienna, through employment at the City of Vienna with major projects in geotechnical consulting and construction management, a subsequent doctorate at the Vienna University of Technology and her decision to return to the private sector - Petra Drucker faced hurdles in a wide variety of working environments during her career, most of which were characterized by outdated role models. She celebrated successes in outstanding projects, such as the extension of Vienna's U2 subway line and the pipe jacking of the Breitenleer collector sewer. She also oversaw the geotechnical engineering project management for the safety expansion of the S31 Burgenland expressway in Austria.

After the coronavirus pandemic, Petra Drucker decided to restart her career in Germany. As a Senior Consultant at the engineering company CDM Smith in Munich, she is now able to pass on her extensive professional experience to young colleagues and, in addition to her specialist work, she can also focus on the people in the team. CDM Smith has around 700 employees at 14 locations in Germany and deals with planning and construction services relating to water, the environment, infrastructure, energy and buildings.

In her discussions with the mentees, Mrs. Drucker encouraged them to always hold on to their self-confidence and self-assurance and ultimately to do what they enjoy. After the keynote speech, the guests were able to chat in a relaxed atmosphere over snacks and drinks.