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In addition to students and academic employees, Brno University of Technology also employs technical and administrative staff whose often invisible work keeps the university running. Backstage BUT is a series of interviews featuring non-academic female staff who have linked their careers to BUT. Lucie Schimmelová from the Internal Audit and Control Department happily returned to work for BUT after years in justice. In the interview she describes why humanity is just as important as rules in her role at the university. After years in justice, Lucie Schimmelová happily returned to work for BUT. | Author: Václav Koníček
My role combines law, economics, and working with people. I perform internal process controls, handle complaints and suggestions, and I am the GDPR representative and the person in charge of whistleblower protection. In short, I make sure that things at the university are done legally, transparently, and fairly, while also taking a human approach. I ensure compliance with legal regulations and that internal processes make sense, are understandable, and are sustainable in the long term.
Of course, I need legal and economic knowledge, but the most important thing is soft skills. The art of listening, maintaining perspective, sensitively defending your opinion, and being able to offer people solutions instead of a blunt "it's not possible." I try to work with people, not create obstacles for them. If I know how to do something, I'd rather help them than just pass the responsibility on to them.
Internal audits mainly involve procedural questions and matters related to the audit and inspection plan. In the case of complaints and whistleblowing, current and former employees, students, and external collaborators can contact me if they feel they have been treated unfairly or suspect illegal activity. Some cases may be better directed to colleagues in social security, but if the complaint does not concern these "soft" issues, it usually ends up with us. Sometimes the areas overlap, so there is close cooperation between departments. And in GDPR, I am available to anyone who works with personal data or whose personal data we process as a university.
People are sometimes afraid to file a complaint or report. I assure them that we protect their identity, and not only where required by law. We also anonymize them in reports and communications. Trust is essential for us. And if it ever happens that the identity of the person who made the suggestion is "accidentally" discovered, there are legal tools to protect them. I want them to know that they don't have to be afraid to come forward.
Trust is key for me. I see it as very positive that in recent years, people have been coming forward with their stories and are not afraid to point out what they consider to be injustice. For me, this is proof that the university does not sweep complaints under the rug, but actually addresses them. Everyone who contacts us is actually placing their trust in BUT that their concerns will be investigated honestly. And that is how trust is built. People tell each other that we listened to them, even if the outcome was not always in their favor.
Internal auditing and control are primarily about prevention. They are not about finding individual mistakes, but about making the whole system work better and more securely. They help us see where processes are not working, what is outdated or unnecessary. It is better to discover a problem ourselves than to have it discovered during an external audit. The university is a huge organism with countless processes. Without controls, these would quickly become lax, and over time this would affect the functioning of the entire institution. So you could say that if my work is invisible, that's actually a good thing.
The most common myth is that GDPR is just unnecessary bureaucracy. But I see it as protection of our own information. In the digital age, it is important to know who has our data, why they are processing it, and how it is protected. Interestingly, in my experience, the younger generation is often more cautious than the older one and asks more questions about what institutions are processing about them.
By coincidence, I started at BUT right after high school as a technical and economic worker at the Department of Telecommunications at FEEC. At the same time, I studied law remotely in Bratislava and later went into the judiciary, where I held various positions for about 15 years. After maternity leave, I felt that I wanted to take on more personal responsibility, and at the same time, I was no longer fulfilled by my work as a judge's assistant. When a position as an internal auditor opened up at BUT, I applied. Gradually, I took on complaints, whistleblowing, and GDPR. BUT is close to my heart, and I was very happy to return there and I am glad that my experiences have come together so nicely.
I am a communicative person and have always enjoyed working with people. Thanks to the judiciary and my current job, I have greater perspective and the ability to listen empathetically. I also completed a mediation course, which I still draw on today. It taught me to listen, verify my understanding, and make sure that I really understand the other side.
Running recharges me the most. From spring to fall, I grab my headphones and go for a run to clear my head. I often come up with ideas that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. And when I'm tired, I do the opposite: I sit down with a cup of tea, wrap myself in a blanket, and watch a fairy tale with my kids. Spending time with my family is also very relaxing and recharges my batteries.
At the moment, my role fulfills me to the maximum. It can be a lot sometimes, but at the same time it develops me and pushes me forward. I'm leaving the future open. I'm not afraid of new challenges, and when one comes along, I'm happy to accept it. I don't make specific plans in advance; I believe that if you work on yourself, the right path will find you.
In our department, on the contrary, there are more women and one manager – Pavel Rohlena – who treats us correctly, fairly, and humanely. He creates an environment that is good to work in, and I really appreciate that. The same applies to dealing with men across the university. For me, this is proof that teamwork and the atmosphere at BUT are working well. In addition, men tend to be more direct in their communication, which suits me personally. Overall, I enjoy working here as a woman – when I compare it to the judiciary, it is paradoxically much better here.
Don't be afraid. Work on yourself, learn, and don't give up, even when the path is more difficult. Every experience moves us forward. A technical university is not an environment that women should fear. "Machismo" behavior can occur anywhere – if I don't like something, it's good to speak up; open communication is essential. It's important to go for it with courage, be authentic, and believe in yourself.
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