Vector Informatik GmbH
Vector is the leading manufacturer of software tools and components for the development of electronic systems and the related networks with a wide range of systems from CAN to Ethernet. Vector tools provide engineers with a decisive advantage in making a demanding and highly complex subject area as simple and manageable as possible.
Content participation

Dr. Ute Hillmer
Senior Director Business Development, Vector Informatik GmbH
linkedin
DiscussionEN
10/10/2025 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
MeetUp J.02 | Halle / hall 3
Thread / thematic series: Leadership & Communication, Career & Job Application
Joblevel: Career entry, Professional, Leading position, Startup & Entrepreneurship
Redefining success: When climbing a career ladder feels more like climbing a wall
Success today isn’t linear; it’s a climb full of sideways moves, setbacks, and dips in motivation. Here, I’ll share my own unconventional path: from Global Marketing Manager at Hewlett-Packard, to juggling family life while founding three companies, to being on the executive board of Baden-Württemberg’s innovation agency, building up an innovation consulting startup on three continents, and now serving as Senior Director at Vector Informatik.
Let’s explore how redefining success means finding unique routes that direct you upwards. Forget the classic career ladder – climb your boulder wall.
Details about the speaker Dr. Ute Hillmer
Vita: Dr. Ute Hillmer is Senior Director at Vector, where she leads technology-driven innovation and transformation initiatives. With more than 30 years of experience in innovation management and communication in the tech industry, her career began in Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, at Sun Microsystems Inc. She then took on global roles in technology marketing at Hewlett-Packard Inc. The demands of family life led her to shift gears - a move that opened up unexpected opportunities. Over two decades, Ute built and led multiple ventures in innovation management and consulting.
With Better Reality Ventures, she supported large corporations, mid-sized companies, and start-ups as they explored emerging technologies. She partnered with a Swedish colleague to develop eLearning solutions for schools and businesses and also founded a nonprofit forest kindergarten. In short: she has consistently balanced entrepreneurial tech ambition with strong personal values.
Ute served on the executive board of the MFG Innovation Agency of the State of Baden-Württemberg, where she supported regional start-ups and fostered cross-sector collaboration. Today, at Vector Informatik GmbH, she brings her multifaceted experience to the table - bridging strategic innovation and cultural transformation to pave the way for long-term success.
She holds a degree in industrial engineering and earned her PhD in innovation management in London. Ute is also a certified leadership and NLP coach, applying neuroscience-based methods to strengthen teams, foster trust, and build resilient, adaptive leadership cultures.
What drives her work is a deep commitment to making transformation tangible by engaging with people rather than imposing change from the top down. Her approach is grounded in the belief that real change starts on a personal level, where trust, empathy, and dialogue lead the way.
Book publication/s:
Technology acceptance in mechatronics.