In July the CREE Team had another outstanding occasion to cheer on: this time, it was the 10-year company anniversary of Michael Kamenik, an experienced architect, a talented and dedicated team lead, and a great friend we are so happy to share our daily business with.
In this interview we took a chance to reflect on the last decade, its moments of joy and its challenges, together. Many more years with CREE, Michael! Your energy, integrity and team spirit are an inspiration to all of us!
This month marks your 10-year anniversary with CREE. Looking back, how has this decade been for you, personally and professionally?
It’s been a truly exciting journey for me, both personally and with CREE Buildings. Moving from the big city of Vienna to the small town of Dornbirn was a real challenge. And not just because of the distance, but especially in terms of (work) culture. I even had to learn a “new language,” since Vorarlberg dialect isn’t always easy to understand, even for the native Austrians.
When I joined CREE, we were a team of four; now we are more than 20 people. Over time, this growth led to the introduction of a new company structure, which I had the privilege of helping shape in a meaningful way. Introducing sociocracy at CREE has been both rewarding and challenging work, and it now defines our flat hierarchies and the culture of a truly great team.
You joined CREE at a very early stage and have witnessed its evolution. What can you call the most defining shift of the last 10 years of CREE?
I would say it was the shift from being a general contractor to becoming a system provider for our now-global building partners. Building this network of like-minded companies willing to share their experience and collaborate is, on the one hand, our greatest achievement – and on the other, a continual challenge.
A significant part of your role is supporting our Partners and helping make the CREE network thrive. What do you enjoy most about this and what is the biggest challenge?
What excites me most is having the opportunity to work with so many inspiring and talented people from a wide range of regions and cultures. And not only within the CREE partner network, but also internally, within the company. At the same time, this is consistently one of the biggest challenges, though one I genuinely enjoy embracing.
Besides being Lead Architect, you also serve as CREE’s Guardian of Sociocracy. Could you tell us more about this role and what it means to you?
Embedding sociocracy into our company’s organizational structure wasn’t a one-time effort. It requires ongoing adjustments to reflect changing circumstances. As a relatively small company, CREE Buildings continually faces new challenges and tasks, which also need to be reflected in how we organize ourselves. Driving these changes forward while staying true to the core principles of sociocracy is a task I gladly take on, again and again.
CREE is built on four core values: Open-mindedness, Intrapreneurship, Responsibility, and Driving Change. Which of these resonates with you the most, and why?
For me, it’s “Responsibility.” Taking ownership of one’s actions and treating others with respect are, in my view, the foundation for successful and fulfilling work.
If you could travel back to your first day at the company, what advice would you give your younger self?
Have more confidence to speak up when important decisions are being made. And – even if it isn’t always easy – share your opinion. But in order to enjoy a meaningful discussion with others, be prepared to have a well-founded argument to support your point of view.
Over the past 10 years, what’s one project, decision, or moment that still makes you think, “That’s why I am here, and why I’m proud of what I do”?
Every single CREE Partner Days. It genuinely makes me happy to see this dedicated community grow with each event, and to see how much we learn from one another at every gathering. I’m proud that all my efforts have contributed to this growth.
