Two years ago I started working for Thieme as Scientific Editor for our chemistry journals SYNTHESIS and SYNLETT. With the beginning of 2003 I am entering my second year in the position of Managing Editor for the same journals. After having completed my PhD thesis in organometallic chemistry I worked for two years as postdoctoral associate. Spending more than six years in foreign countries enabled me to learn two additional languages. Therefore I was aiming for a position allowing me to combine both chemical and language skills, something I found as Scientific Editor at Thieme.

As Managing Editor I am now responsible for the scientific and financial success of our chemistry journals as well as their future development in terms of content and technology. This sentence is already emphasizing that the position gives me the opportunity to broaden my skills in different fields. Being in permanent contact with editors and, although less than as Scientific Editor, authors keeps me up at the cutting edge of current research in synthetic chemistry. A very important aspect of my work is the responsibility for the financial budget including its planning and controlling which I find to be a very challenging but interesting task when you take into account my background. Organizational and communicational skills are absolutely essential as I collaborate with people in many different departments within the publishing house (i.e. marketing, controlling, technical development) and in the wider scientific community, especially when representing our journals at international conferences.

So far, I have not regretted quitting lab-coat and fume-cupboard. I like the diversity of my work within an international team, something I thought I would not find again after leaving the university. Collaborating with lots people with different backgrounds keeps your horizons open.

Once having entered the publishing world you must be aware that it will be difficult if not impossible to return into pure chemical research.