Carina Weninger: A woman with long brown hair, wearing a dark blazer and white blouse, sits and smiles in a modern office with shelves, books, plants, and a clock in the background.
#FavoriteMoments People in Focus
Reading time: 7 minutes

#FavoriteMoments with Carina Weninger

In this edition of #FavoriteMoments, we meet Carina Weninger, CRM Manager for the Industrials segment and marketing manager at voestalpine High Performance Metals International.

In her dual role, Carina works closely with marketing and sales teams around the world—supporting campaigns, content, and events, while also helping colleagues navigate a complex CRM system. In the interview, she talks about her day‑to‑day work, the challenges behind CRM, and why guidance and collaboration matter just as much as technology.

A role without a typical day

Can you share with us a typical day in your dual role in CRM and Marketing?

“There is really no typical day,” Carina explained. “My role is a mix of managing CRM for our Industrials segment and marketing for voestalpine HPM International.  On the marketing side, I work on campaigns, social media, and content alignment with sales, as well as trade shows, brochures, and events. On the CRM side, I receive requests for reporting, dashboards, and market insights. The system offers many dashboards, which are very helpful—but if you don’t use them every day, it can also be confusing. People often just need some guidance.”

Working across borders and disciplines

What is one favorite aspect of your work?

“I really enjoy collaborating with colleagues from around the world.” Carina said. “It’s people from a wide range of areas and functions — sales, marketing, IT specialists, as well as materials and technology experts in our Industrials segment. I also really enjoy the support aspect of my role. Helping others navigate challenges and find solutions gives my work a strong sense of purpose, and it’s rewarding to know I can make someone’s day a little easier.”

From HR to marketing and CRM

How did your career path come about?

“I actually studied HR management in Vienna, so I’m coming from a completely different background than CRM and marketing. When I applied for a position at voestalpine, it was already a split role — HR and marketing. Over time, I moved further into marketing, where I felt there was more potential for me. My HR background helped me a lot when it comes to understanding people, culture, and different roles — from inside sales to top management.”

Growing with the CRM system

Can you tell us more about the CRM system at voestalpine?

“When I started, CRM had gone live just one month before my starting date,” Carina explained. “Everything was quite new, and there was a lot of need for support—especially around user adoption and system enhancements. We started with a very basic version of the system eight years ago. Together with the CRM team and IT, we gradually adapted it to our needs. We’re a large group with a complex organization, and reflecting that complexity in a CRM system is very challenging.”

Why CRM is more complex than it looks

What are the biggest challenges in managing the CRM system?

“We receive a wide range of requests from teams around the world, each with their own specific needs. But because our CRM is built on a complex data model and is tightly connected to systems like SAP, our websites, and other global tools, even small adjustments can have a broad impact across the organization.

This often means we can’t implement certain changes, which we understand can be frustrating. Still, we always aim to strike the best possible balance by addressing as many needs as we can while keeping the system stable and valuable for everyone.”

Supporting users worldwide

How do you manage CRM training?

“Some users are very advanced and don’t need much help. Others are new to CRM and need much more support. To support everyone, we use webinars, documentation, and walkthrough sessions — sometimes for teams, sometimes for individuals.”

Looking ahead: CRM and AI

How do you see the future of CRM?

“AI will significantly shape the future of CRM systems by automating routine work and providing smarter and faster insights. Our goal is to reduce administrative work and provide quick, actionable information, so sales teams can spend more time on supporting customers and increasing business.”

#FavoriteMoments outside the office

What are your #FavoriteMoments outside the office?

“Outside of work, things stay busy,” Carina said. “I’m a mom of two small children, so balancing everything can be challenging. Working out a couple of times a week is my ‘me time’. It helps me switch off from both work and parenting for a moment and recharge mentally.”

A few of Carina’s #Favorites

  • Favorite dish: Everything with pasta — except tomato sauce
  • Favorite TV series: Blacklist
  • Favorite music style: EDM (electronic dance music)
  • Favorite part of working in Industrials: The variety of businesses and the international aspect — it never gets boring
  • Favorite place to relax:  going for a walk in the nature

In the video shown above, Carina talks about her role, her daily work, and what it takes to support global teams in a complex organization. You can discover more #FavoriteMoments below, with colleagues from across voestalpine High Performance Metals sharing their stories, insights, and what they value most in their work.

Find out more

You can find out more about the voestalpine HPM #FavoriteMoments campaign by exploring some of our other videos:

And stay tuned: our next #FavoriteMoments episode is already in the works — featuring another colleague with a surprising story and a fresh perspective from inside the voestalpine HPM world. You won’t want to miss it.