(Interviewed in 2020)

Dagmar Möbius

Daniel Woithe describes himself as a computer scientist through and through. The 39-year-old now works for Deutsche Bahn. He is helping to make processes ranging from food orders on ICE trains to train maintenance and greener driving more digital. One focus of his work is IT security, an area that has fascinated him since his days as a student.

His parents were both mathematicians who worked in computer science, so he was introduced to information technology as a child. "Initially on the KC85-3 – the C64 of the GDR." He was already building his own computers at an early age, trying to understand the inner workings of these devices. In the years immediately following the fall of the Berlin wall, when telephone connections were still rare, the Erfurt native discovered the world of online services and mailboxes with his first modem. "I was murder on my parents' phone bill," he laughs. His interest in STEM subjects was recognized and encouraged. Up until he graduated from high school in 1999, Daniel Woithe studied in a specialist mathematics/science stream with a large computer science component. He wanted to broaden his knowledge of those areas in his studies. "I made my decision shortly before the end of the dot-com bubble. Everyone was talking about the lack of people with IT skills and a career in this area seemed inevitable," he recounts with a grin.

Daniel Woithe studied computer science at TU Dresden with a minor in business management from 2000 to 2005. The beauty of the city, the many changes ("at that time, reconstruction work on the Frauenkirche church had only just begun"), the wide range of content on the course and also "the vibrant student scene" were major factors in Woithe's clear choice of where to study.

Data protection and IT security were issues that fascinated Daniel Woithe as a student. Professor Andreas Pfitzmann († 2010) played a key role here. "This was a time when cyber security had yet to feature in university curricula." The computer scientist still praises the breadth and depth of the course today. "That technical understanding of many aspects of IT still helps me to understand both older IT systems, of which Deutsche Bahn has plenty, and new concepts, and fuels my curiosity about new developments." Commercial expertise gained on his business management track stands him in good stead for getting to grips with the figures of a large corporation.

"We had a lot of freedom studying in my day, but it was also demanding. We learned organizational skills at a very early stage as we put together the best courses and study groups, and completed some challenging internships." A definite boost to independent working and problem-solving skills.

Alongside his studies, Daniel Woithe worked in customer and guest services at the "Gläserne Manufaktur" Volkswagen factory. "It was a good counterbalance to my more technical degree course. It gave me a lot of experience in public speaking, marketing, public relations, and teamwork," he says.

From a career perspective, he was attracted to traditional IT consultancy. But that's not how things turned out. Towards the end of his degree, Daniel Woithe's focus shifted to IT security. He wrote his final-year dissertation on security aspects of computer networks. An application to his employer of choice, a large IT consultancy firm, was unsuccessful. "So I took the indirect route, starting out as an IT security trainee at a major service provider in the industry, where I gained my first practical experience." He then spent more than seven years as an IT security consultant, project manager, and technology expert working across Germany. "I met hundreds of customers and tried out countless canteens."

In 2012, Daniel Woithe moved to DB Systel, the IT division of Deutsche Bahn. The complex environment, many challenges, and fast pace due to digitalization were a great motivation to him. He currently works as a product owner in the Identity & Access Management segment. "I am responsible for ensuring that over 200,000 Deutsche Bahn employees can work securely on mobile devices and have convenient access to their company applications, and for protecting networks, users, and data from attacks," he outlines. He also analyses customer requirements, and is instrumental in the provision and strategic development of IT security services. More than 40 employees in five teams report to him. And staffing requirements are growing. "In IT security, we hired ten junior staff members straight from university in 2019, four of whom are women. The proportion of women is still small, but that is changing." Woithe praises the agile working environment, the high degree of individual responsibility, and the scope and freedom granted: "IT security is now a topic of discussion on the board of every major company. Digitalization is making inroads in all areas."

In concrete terms, that means that many paper processes are being switched to IT-based systems, and all employees use smartphones and tablets. "Previously, if the food ran out on an ICE train, it would be ordered manually. Today, there are checkout systems that automatically reorder," he says, giving one example. What about the vexed question of delays? "Trains need regular maintenance. The processes used to be paper-driven. Nowadays, maintenance employees have a tablet to control workflows. If those tablets fail, we need to switch to a paper process. Of course, this takes longer and causes delays." Other systems help the train driver save energy when driving and thus contribute to environmental protection.

If a booking doesn't work, this annoys not only potential passengers, but also Daniel Woithe and his teams. He recalls a mistake of his own shortly after starting his professional career. It resulted in employees of a bank being unable to work for an entire morning. "Your heart just drops," he admits. The glitch was fixed creatively and the computer scientist learned to deal with mistakes. He appreciates the positive error culture at his current job. Giving and receiving feedback is important to the committed rail user. He travels by train for work at least once a week, and he rarely drives his car. Sustainability and climate considerations were partly responsible for Daniel Woithe's decision to join Deutsche Bahn in Frankfurt am Main. The number one piece of equipment for work is his PC. "I'm always available," says the 39-year-old. "My hobby is my job. I'm a dedicated computer scientist.

He has shared his enthusiasm with students. "A partnership between my employer and the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TU Dresden gave me chance to give students insight into IT security and networks at Deutsche Bahn as a visiting lecturer on the 'Special Traffic Telematics Networks and Services' module (PD Dr.-Ing. Stephan Baumann) from 2016 to 2018 – and enjoy the ambience of the city again."

Contact:
Daniel Woithe
Product Owner, Identity & Access Management
DB Systel GmbH

Email

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