Miriam’s Journey in the Hilti Outperformer Program: From Graduate to Regional Leadership

Written in collaboration with Miriam Vargova, and the employer brand team

Miriam's career at Hilti began in Slovakia and developed through experiences across the Czech Republic, Mexico, and Liechtenstein, before she took on her current role in California. What connects these steps is not geography, but a consistent progression of trust, challenge, and growth.

What makes her journey stand out is not only the international scope, but the way confidence is built gradually through real responsibility, new environments, and continuous learning.

Early Trust and Real Responsibility

From the very beginning, the experience challenged expectations of what a graduate program usually looks like.

From the very first day, I was assigned a mentor from senior management, which showed me that talent development is taken very seriously here.

 

Rather than being gradually eased into the business, Miriam was given early exposure to real challenges and decision-making environments. This created a learning curve shaped by trust, not hesitation.

At one point early in her journey, she realized she was no longer just observing the business, but actively part of it. That shift in mindset became an important foundation for how she grew into future roles.

Alongside structured development and a six-month leadership course at IMD, she also experienced a strong sense of community with other Outperformers across different markets.

Being part of this community and discussing with equally motivated people from other countries was very inspiring. That was when I fully realized how many opportunities this program and Hilti offer.

 

Seeing the Business as One Connected System

As her experience expanded, so did her understanding of how interconnected the organization is across functions and markets.

"The biggest shift for me has been gaining a broader understanding of how the company operates across different countries and departments. Thanks to international experience, I gained a more comprehensive view of the business and better understood how the individual parts of the company fit together.", she said.

This broader perspective also strengthened how she works with people. It required adaptability, confidence, and the ability to collaborate across different expectations and working styles.

I learned to collaborate more effectively with different stakeholders, lead projects, and manage various expectations.

Over time, she developed not only technical understanding, but also the ability to operate effectively in complexity.

Clarity through Exposure, not Limitation

A common question about fast-track programs is whether too many experiences early in a career can make direction unclear. For Miriam, the opposite happened.

The program opened my eyes to how many opportunities the company offers and how complex Hilti truly is.

Instead of narrowing her path too early, exposure helped her see where she could grow with more clarity and intention.

Thanks to the different experiences, I was able to better imagine the direction in which I wanted to develop further.

 

At the same time, working across different environments reinforced something deeply important: a consistent culture where trust, teamwork, and people development are not abstract values, but lived every day across teams and countries.

This consistency created confidence, especially in stepping into new challenges and taking ownership earlier in her career than expected.

From International Exposure to Regional Leadership

Today, Miriam works in a regional leadership role in California, where her international experience directly influences how she leads and makes decisions.

"Experiences from different countries help me today to look at situations from multiple perspectives, compare processes, and use different approaches or tactics, which allows me to make more informed decisions and come up with more effective solutions."

This ability to shift perspective is especially valuable in leadership, where balancing different realities and guiding teams through complexity is part of everyday work.

Just as importantly, she now brings this experience into her team, helping others learn from different ways of working and apply them in practical contexts.

"As a regional manager, I regularly find myself in situations where I can support my team by sharing how certain processes or sales tactics are implemented."

Advice for Future Outperformers

Looking back, Miriam emphasizes that real growth comes from variety and openness rather than early specialization.

I would definitely recommend trying projects at national, regional, and global levels, because each experience brings a different perspective. Take every opportunity to develop, ask questions, and stay curious.

The strength of the Outperformer Program lies in this combination of exposure, responsibility, and continuous learning.

The Outperformer program at Hilti is a unique opportunity to get to know the company from different perspectives across departments and countries while building a career aligned with your ambitions.

From the beginning, participants are trusted with responsibility and seen as future leaders, which shapes both capability and confidence over time.

"From day one, you are seen as a top talent, which is reflected in the company's approach."

Miriam's journey is ultimately not defined by locations or roles, but by a steady progression of trust and growth. What stands out is not only how far she has come, but how each experience helped her step into the next one with greater clarity and confidence.