PwC Österreich
Emilia Bessonova, Technology Consultant bei PwC
Description
Emilia Bessonova von PwC erzählt im Interview über ihren Background, was ihre aktuelle Arbeit als Technology Consultant umfasst und gibt Tipps für Neueinsteiger.
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Video Summary
In "Emilia Bessonova, Technology Consultant bei PwC," Emilia Bessonova shares her path from biotechnology research into technology consulting at PwC, stressing that diverse backgrounds are valued and deep programming isn’t required. She illustrates end-to-end work—from strategy to implementation—through a Data Lake project for a listed real estate company, serving in QA, requirements engineering, and project management while bridging business and IT. Her advice to tech professionals: stay curious, think flexibly, and help shape clients’ mindsets as you guide them through new technologies.
From Biotechnology to Technology Consulting: How Emilia Bessonova (PwC Österreich) bridges Business and IT
Introduction: A devstory about non-linear paths into tech consulting
In our devstory session “Emilia Bessonova, Technology Consultant bei PwC” with Speaker: Emilia Bessonova (Company: PwC Österreich), one theme came through immediately: technology consulting has many faces—and many ways in. Emilia’s background is in research; she studied biotechnology and now works as a Technology Consultant. Her path shows that curiosity, a willingness to learn, and communication skills matter just as much as formal degree labels. If you assume you must “hardcore develop” to succeed in consulting, you’re likely missing the real center of the work.
Early on, she set the tone:
“Ich selbst komme eigentlich nicht aus einem typischen BWL-Studium, sondern komme eigentlich aus der Forschung. Ich habe Biotechnologie studiert … Ich bin aber sehr froh, dass es so sich ergeben hat … und habe … relativ schnell auch für mich verstanden, dass ich da auch ganz richtig bin und auch gar nicht verloren gefühlt.”
We at DevJobs.at heard Emilia as someone who speaks both the language of business and the language of technology—closing a gap that often determines whether tech initiatives succeed or stall. This devstory distills what we learned from her journey: why diverse profiles belong in consulting, how the work spans from strategy to implementation, and why shaping the client’s mindset can be as critical as choosing the right tool.
From research to consulting: a pivot with depth
Emilia’s background is far from “typical consulting.” She emphasizes that she comes from research, with a degree in biotechnology—hardly the first discipline one associates with technology consulting. That is precisely the power of her story: deep expertise from outside traditional business education can be a strong foundation for creating value in complex tech projects.
Crucially, her transition didn’t feel disorienting. At PwC, she quickly realized she was in the right place. That suggests consulting doesn’t demand a single prescribed path; it integrates different perspectives, especially where projects require both conceptual and operational clarity.
Diverse backgrounds welcome: consulting isn’t just for business majors
One of Emilia’s core messages is that tech consulting is not an exclusive track for business graduates.
“Was eben wichtig ist, ist zu verstehen, dass wir als Voraussetzung nicht nur BWL-Studenten haben … Wir haben auch Leute, die Mathematik studiert haben oder auch aus der Wirtschaft, aber ganz, ganz breit aufgestellt, auch aus der Naturwissenschaft.”
We hear more than a recruiting line here; it’s a structural insight. Different disciplines bring different lenses: computer science adds technical depth, mathematics sharpens analysis, and the natural sciences bring hypothesis-driven, systematic problem solving. Together, teams can do more than implement tools; they can understand problems, translate needs, and deliver sustainable solutions.
That matches Emilia’s experience: “everyone finds a niche.” Activities are aligned to profiles—a vital signal for anyone seeking a role in tech that fits their strengths.
Debunking the “hardcore developer” myth
Emilia is candid about a common misconception:
“Man hat das Gefühl, dass man da auch irgendwie hardcore developpen muss und ein großer Programmierer sein muss … Das ist bei mir zum Beispiel gar nicht der Fall, obwohl ich in der Technologieberatung bin.”
She learned programming basics and concepts at university but finds programming as a standalone activity less versatile. This isn’t an argument against coding; it’s an invitation to see technology consulting more broadly—work at the interfaces, translation across domains, orchestration across the project lifecycle.
At PwC (PwC Österreich), that means presence at multiple stages: strategy planning, conceptual design, and implementation. If you’re drawn to big-picture thinking, sharpening requirements, orchestrating communication, and translating outcomes, consulting offers a canvas that extends beyond pure development.
End-to-end view: from strategy to implementation
What does Technology Consulting do in practice? Emilia outlines the arc:
“Wir sind tätig in der Strategieplanung, wir sind tätig in der Konzeption bis hin zur Implementierung.”
That end-to-end view matters. Strategy without delivery is abstract; delivery without strategy drifts. Conceptualization in the middle aligns expectations, exposes risks, and builds the foundation for implementation.
We found it telling how seamlessly Emilia treats these phases—not as silos but as a connected flow. It also explains why her role changes by project stage: sometimes quality assurance takes center stage, sometimes requirements engineering, sometimes project management.
A Data Lake in practice: many hats, one goal
Emilia shares an ongoing engagement: implementing a Data Lake for a listed real estate company. Without diving into technical specifics, her emphasis is on roles and outcomes:
“Ich war dort tätig als Qualitätssicherer, ich war dort tätig als Requirements Engineer bis hin zum Projektmanagement.”
Multiple hats aren’t a cliché; they’re the reality of end-to-end engagements. Here’s how we understand these hats fitting together, based on her account:
Quality assurance: anchoring trust in outcomes
Quality assurance in this context means safeguarding the target: Are requirements implemented correctly? Do intermediate results map to the agreed goals? In Data Lake implementations, reliability is crucial—so QA becomes more than testing; it’s the continuous alignment with the throughline.
Requirements engineering: the bridge across business and IT
Emilia describes requirements engineering vividly:
“Da ist man ja quasi die Brücke oder eben das Kommunikationsrohr zwischen Business und IT.”
That bridge requires dual fluency:
“Man muss … die Sprache der IT und der Technik spricht, aber auch eben die Sprache von Business spricht.”
And the translation runs both ways:
“Das geht immer in beide Richtungen … einerseits mit den Developern … aber auch in die andere Richtung, was erwartet der Kunde, was möchte der als Endprodukt haben.”
For us, the lesson applies across tech organizations: without careful translation of goals, requirements, and outcomes, friction is inevitable. Requirements engineering protects developers from misaligned expectations and protects clients from unpleasant surprises.
Project management: overview, budget, schedules
In another company, Emilia serves as project manager. Communication remains key—and she adds two pillars:
“Im Projektmanagement ist dann wieder mehr in der Übersicht die Rolle des Budgetplanens und Einhalten der Termine.”
This is the managerial lens on tech work: not only fit-for-purpose solutions, but also economic and temporal boundaries. Project management holds those threads, creating the conditions for a resilient bridge between business and IT.
Communication as the operating principle: a two-way translation
The strongest constant in Emilia’s story is communication. She frames herself as the “communication pipe,” carrying requirements, results, and goals in both directions. In practice, that means:
- Clarifying expectations: What is the goal? What does “done” mean from a business perspective?
- Reflecting feasibility: What is technically sensible, realistic in time, and viable within budget?
- Channeling feedback: What do developers need to deliver effectively? What decisions must the business make?
- Preventing misunderstandings: Which terms are ambiguous? What needs clarification before proceeding?
Dual fluency in business and tech isn’t just a soft skill; it’s the operational lever that makes complex projects executable.
Mindset-shaping: taking clients by the hand through change
Emilia underscores something we observe frequently: technology initiatives often fail not due to tools but due to expectations, change management, and missing buy-in.
“…dass du die Kunden, das Mindset quasi auch shapest. Also da geht es nicht nur darum, das perfekte Tool, das perfekte System zu implementieren, sondern … sie bei der Hand zu nehmen und ihnen zu erklären, was jetzt passiert, jetzt kommt eine neue Technologie und warum machen wir das, warum ist das wichtig …”
Mindset-shaping is thus integral to consulting. It’s about explaining decisions, addressing concerns, and showing how new systems improve work. Emilia’s versatility shines here—she couples structure with empathy for the client’s perspective.
Learning and flexibility: the consulting profile
Toward the end, Emilia distills the traits that matter most:
“…bereit ist, sich für neue Themen immer zu begeistern, für neue Systeme, neue Technologien und auch dieses flexible Denken in sich hat … Requirements … verstehen und auch aber an die anpassen.”
And she adds a mindset we see threaded through her story:
“Ob ich bereit bin, immer wieder neu zu lernen, neu einzutauchen, in neue Thematiken, vernetzt zu denken. Ja, das ist sehr wichtig.”
That’s a realistic blueprint for technology consulting: not a monolithic specialization, but adaptable, structured, and communicative—with enough technical comprehension to engage meaningfully, and enough business understanding to sharpen value.
What developers can take from Emilia’s path
For developers—or those heading there—this devstory is concrete. Consulting doesn’t mean abandoning code; it means situating code in a wider context. Practical takeaways include:
- Find your niche: Emilia notes that activities align with profiles. Whether quality assurance, requirements engineering, or project management—there are many ways to create business value in tech projects.
- Build translation capability: Learn to translate business goals into crisp, testable requirements—and reflect technical feasibility back in business terms.
- Think end-to-end: Understand the interplay of strategy, concept, and implementation. End-to-end awareness yields better decisions in every phase.
- Maintain a learning rhythm: New systems, technologies, and domains—curiosity and enthusiasm are core drivers, as Emilia emphasizes.
- Practice mindset-shaping: Tools are a means, not an end. Explaining the “why” builds trust and decision confidence on the client side.
A note on the Data Lake context—light on tech, strong on alignment
Emilia cites a Data Lake implementation. Without technical deep-dives, we can outline consulting essentials:
- A Data Lake is not an end in itself; it’s a shared data foundation to enable better decisions.
- Requirements are decisive: Which outcomes matter? Which sources feed the lake? What quality thresholds apply?
- Roles interlock: QA monitors the course, requirements engineering sharpens the target picture, project management anchors budget and schedule.
This underscores why interface work is critical: in data-driven initiatives, success hinges on aligning expectations with implementation.
Career paths beyond a single mold: what PwC Österreich’s environment implies
When Emilia says colleagues come from many fields, she signals a cultural point: roles aren’t rigid; they emerge at the intersection of project needs and individual profiles. For tech talent, that means:
- Career entry from different disciplines is viable—if the learning mindset is there.
- Technical foundations help but need not dominate.
- Communication and structured thinking become career accelerators.
We read Emilia’s message as an embrace of diversity in technology consulting—where natural sciences, mathematics, business, and computer science complement each other.
Practical steps if you want to pursue consulting
From Emilia’s account, here are practical steps for aspiring consultants:
- Clarify your profile: Are you drawn to conceptualization, quality, delivery, communications? Map your strengths along the project lifecycle.
- Train both languages: Phrase business goals precisely and translate them into technical requirements—and vice versa. Practice switching perspectives intentionally.
- Learn systematically: Build foundations in data and systems without narrowing too early. Foundations strengthen your bridge role.
- Practice expectation management: Hone the ability to sharpen goals, challenge assumptions, and align outcomes with expectations.
- Preserve curiosity: Make room to explore new topics—this openness is exactly what Emilia highlights as a success factor.
Moments that stuck with us
A few statements stayed with us—not as slogans but as operating principles:
“…jeder für sich dann eine Nische findet … Tätigkeiten … an die Profile … angepasst.”
“…Programmieren nur als alleinstehende Tätigkeit eher langweilig …”
“…die Brücke … zwischen Business und IT … die Sprache der IT … und … die Sprache von Business …”
“…Budgetplanens und Einhalten der Termine …”
“…das Mindset … shapest … nicht nur … perfektes Tool … sondern … bei der Hand nehmen … erklären, was jetzt passiert … warum ist das wichtig …”
These quotes frame a way of working that treats technology as a means to an end: user-centered, explanatory, structured, and end-to-end.
Key takeaways
- Technology consulting is about breadth: strategy, concept, implementation. Those who provide the connective tissue multiply impact.
- Non-linear entries add value: diverse educational backgrounds enrich project teams.
- Coding is optional—understanding is not: grasping concepts and fundamentals enables you to converse and translate effectively.
- Requirements engineering is the bridge discipline: sharpen expectations, translate goals, and explain results—in both directions.
- Project management stabilizes delivery: budget, timelines, and communication are part of the product.
- Mindset-shaping is consulting work: implementing tools is not enough; clients must understand and support the change.
- Learning is the strongest lever: new topics, systems, technologies—curiosity and flexibility are core competencies.
Conclusion: Consulting as a stage for interface excellence
“Emilia Bessonova, Technology Consultant bei PwC” makes clear how consulting works beyond the clichés. Whether you come from research, computer science, mathematics, business, or another field, you can have impact if you’re ready to learn, translate, and take responsibility across the project lifecycle.
At PwC Österreich, Emilia spans quality assurance, requirements engineering, and project management—holding together strategy, conception, and implementation. For us, that’s the core message of this devstory: technology projects succeed where people build bridges—between languages, expectations, and outcomes. If you seek that bridgework, technology consulting offers a role with purpose and impact.
