August 11, 2023, 2:45 pm | Read time: 10 minutes

Tana-Maria Schächtele is originally from Düsseldorf and actually comes from the fashion industry. She has been working for Amazon since 2016 and has been part of the Alexa team since 2020, which she now leads as “Head of Personality & Brand Germany / Alexa / Amazon.” We had the opportunity to take a closer look at the woman behind the German Alexa.

Ms. Schächtele, what kind of “person” is Alexa?

First, it’s important to emphasize that Alexa is not a “person” but a cloud-based personal artificial intelligence designed to interact as naturally as possible. Alexa should be intelligent, yet accessible, helpful, respectful, and entertaining, while also having a strong connection to Germany and the German language. My team is responsible for this. We focus on Alexa’s character traits and essentially give the voice service a personality.

How much of Tana-Maria Schächtele is in Alexa?

Good question! Smart, trustworthy, playful, empathetic, inclusive. These are some of the traits central to developing Alexa’s personality. They are also traits I value in others and naturally try to embody. It’s exciting to help define how millions of people in Germany experience interaction with Alexa daily and what characteristic traits are attributed to Alexa. What many might not expect: there’s a lot of German in Alexa.

How exactly is that noticeable?

We have a local, German-speaking team working to make the experience as familiar as possible for our German-speaking customers. This includes expressions, Alexa’s fondness for idioms, and even individual sentences in the most common German dialects, such as Bavarian or Swabian. Renowned German personalities like Barbara Schöneberger, Anke Engelke, or Dr. Barbara Sturm are or have been part of the content that customers can access through us–ask Alexa for a joke by Barbara Schöneberger.

Has Alexa, in turn, also influenced Tana-Maria Schächtele in recent years?

Yes, working on Alexa has also influenced my everyday life. It has become more diverse and local! While in the fashion industry, I was focused on one topic and more on the avant-garde, I now deal more with the mainstream and multiple areas simultaneously. I laugh a lot more at work–part of our job is to define Alexa’s humor. I also enjoy using voice control for things like timers and music, which means I’m less on my smartphone–especially during yoga, meditation, or cooking.

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Did Alexa face prejudices, or were there ever considerations to make an “Alex” instead of an “Alexa” as the “spokesperson” or contact for and from Amazon?

Alexa is not a spokesperson for Amazon but a personal AI that can support customers in many areas of their daily lives. Alexa is nonpartisan and has no gender. There are not only two different voice options but also a total of five different so-called wake words to start an interaction with Alexa. Besides “Alexa,” customers can also use “Amazon,” “Computer,” “Echo,” or “Ziggy.” You can refer to Alexa as “she” or “he,” or, as I do, as “it.”

How well does Alexa handle gendering?

Try it out. We have consciously decided to use gender-inclusive language in the company, and Alexa does the same.

That Alexa embodies diversity is unquestionable; but how important is she in terms of inclusion, and what can she do for inclusion?

Alexa stands for diversity, integration, inclusion, and equal opportunity. This is reflected not only in Alexa’s responses. We want our personal AI to be usable by everyone. Thanks to intuitive voice control, Alexa can help people get information, manage their daily lives, communicate with each other, control technical devices, or entertain themselves. A study by the Fraunhofer Institute and the Red Cross showed, for example, that Alexa can reduce loneliness among older people, thereby improving their mental and physical well-being. People with disabilities often lead more independent lives thanks to Alexa. These are just a few examples of the positive role Alexa can play in inclusion.

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Does Alexa sometimes scare you (keyword: “AI”)?

No. Quite the opposite. Our vision is for Alexa to become a personal assistant, advisor, and companion for our customers. The positive feedback from our customers about Alexa and her role in their lives motivates us every day to provide them with an even better experience. Of course, we are aware of the responsibility that comes with it and take it very seriously.

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Even if you are more in content than in tech, a certain understanding of new technologies is indispensable today. What influence did “tech” have on your career planning?

I didn’t plan a career in tech back then. My career path is probably a good example that this industry offers many roles that may seem atypical at first glance and also opens up opportunities for career changers. With my know-how in the fashion industry and experience in consulting, I joined Amazon in the fashion sector. In 2020, I became aware of the position in the Alexa team. What I found exciting about the job description at the time was that it was essentially a role in creative direction for an AI. And indeed, it is a very creative role–I was able to acquire the necessary technical know-how over time.  

Was there an aha moment?

During my time at Amazon, there were several aha moments. One I fondly remember: A friend told my partner’s daughter that she could now call Santa Claus with Alexa. The daughter replied that she knew the person who worked on that feature. I think that was a moment when I realized that my work could really reach and bring joy to many people. 

Did you have role models?

In my early days with Alexa, Toni Reid was definitely a big role model. As a trained anthropologist, she showed me how to set and achieve new goals with curiosity, passion, and courage. She started at Amazon in the HR department, worked in the Amazon Video team in between, and later took responsibility for the Alexa experience. In general, I am fascinated by women who consistently pursue their own vision. I am grateful to be surrounded by many strong, determined friends and colleagues who continually inspire and motivate me.

What stages has your career path taken so far?

I’ve always been curious and didn’t want to be pigeonholed. So, alongside an internationally oriented business degree, I took my first steps in journalism. I worked night shifts to publish articles focused on fashion for various blogs and newspapers. After that, I worked in customer relationship management for a luxury brand in the fashion sector. To gain as broad experience as possible at a strategic level, I took a position in traditional management consulting before starting at Amazon in the retail sector in 2016. After 15 years in the fashion industry, I seized the opportunity in 2020 to take a position in the Alexa team that combines creative direction, marketing, and project management.

Did you have to deal with prejudices?

Especially at the beginning of my career, there were moments when I wasn’t taken seriously, was pigeonholed, or judged more on appearance among men. That never happened to me at Amazon. What I really appreciate here are the many company approaches to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. Ultimately, it’s like this: the more colorful and diverse our teams are, the better we can represent and understand our customers’ needs. At the same time, visibility plays a big role in societal perception when it comes to equality and diversity. It’s all the more important for women to see how important their diverse talents are for companies in all industries.

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Is missionary work still needed, or have things started moving on a broad basis?

I can only speak for Amazon. We design our work methods and processes to be as inclusive as possible to provide conditions that do not disadvantage or favor any groups. Essential to this are good employee development processes, a fair compensation program with objective criteria, and flexible work models. Training also helps counteract unconscious biases–whether in hiring employees or career development–or to make teams and meetings more inclusive. From my perspective, we are on a good path. But as we like to say internally, it’s always Day One in this area too. We must constantly question ourselves, gather feedback from employees, and continually adjust processes and structures.

When renowned institutes like Boston Consulting Group find a direct link between diversity in a company and its innovation capability, why do some companies, which probably otherwise hang on the lips of these consultants, not align with these findings?

That’s hard for me to judge from afar. We see that diversity is a central innovation factor at Amazon. But not only that–it’s simply the right thing to do. We want everyone to contribute, shape their careers, and come to work as they are, regardless of individual life plans or family planning.

In light of the shortage of skilled workers, especially in technical professions, is a previously underutilized resource–women power–being deliberately wasted?

For Amazon, I can deny that. We offer interesting jobs in almost all areas–and do not think in patterns that may still be widespread elsewhere when filling open positions. The most important thing for us is the right skill set and enthusiasm for the task. Gender doesn’t play a role. Our flat hierarchies, clear development and advancement opportunities, internal mobility options, quick assumption of responsibility, and international environment are also career-promoting.

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Finally: What advice would you give young women today who might be interested in a tech career but don’t know how to approach it?

No matter the field–whether in tech or elsewhere–the steps are essentially the same: research, get feedback, and then try it out. A quick online search will quickly find someone who already works in a job that sounds exciting or at a company that inspires you. What’s stopping you from reaching out to this person and asking for a short conversation? No one doesn’t like to share their own experience. I also think it’s important to consider the environment you want to work in. My father always said: You choose your primary social environment with your job. It’s important to choose an environment that inspires you and provides the right basis for your physical and mental health.