Study Abroad Alumni Networks

Chas Berckmann (German Language & Literature and Finance, '99) studied abroad in Vienna in the 1997-1998 academic year. While preparing the inaugural Illinois in Vienna Alumni Network Newsletter in 2021, we asked Chas some questions regarding his time in Vienna and the impact studying abroad had on his personal and professional life in the years after.

What is your favorite memory about studying abroad in Vienna?

There are too many to count! If I had to give one, then my lasting memory is waking up to the sound of the phone ringing on one of those Vienna mornings and being able to understand my Austrian roommate’s conversation with his mom, as if they were speaking English. It was as if pre-ordained by my dad: that I would wake up one morning and just know the language. My father was stationed in Heidelberg when he was in the U.S. Army in his 20s and had a similar experience. It was his parting wisdom and encouragement before departing on this journey.

I share this experience because no amount of German study in the U.S. can prepare for the shock of suddenly being exposed to the German language, and not just German, but Austrian German. But the sudden realization that I could comprehend the language, the Mundart, was really unforgettable. It opened the door to many subsequent friendships and enabled random encounters to unfold that made the study abroad experience in Vienna so magical.

How do you think your study abroad experience in Vienna helped shaped your career path?

The continued application of the German language, my work in financial services, and a little bit of luck along the way certainly influenced my career trajectory. Until March 2021, I was an Assistant Vice President-Analyst at Moody’s Deutschland GmbH based in Frankfurt, Germany. I was responsible for credit ratings of the major German and Dutch gas and electric transmission and distribution companies (TenneT N.V., Eurogrid GmbH, Amprion GmbH, EWE GmbH, e-netz Suedhessen).

The language element was obviously crucial–at some points more than others–and it supported my first relocation to Zurich with my employer at the time, Goldman, Sachs & Co., from 2002 to mid-2003. In 2005, I was accepted into the Master’s program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where I focused on energy management and policy. I doubt I would have gotten into the degree program absent the Vienna experience, which was a stepping stone to my relocation to Zurich.

Over 2005-2017 I was fest verankert in Brooklyn, New York, until all the stars aligned and both my wife and I got jobs in Frankfurt with our respective employer. We relocated to Frankfurt, Germany, in January 2018 where we are now sattelfest!

At Illinois, you were a German major. What relationship do you have with the language now?

My relationship with the German language could be described as complex, owing the years spent in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Hearing österreichisches Deutsch (Austrian German) for the first time was exotic and exciting.

In practical terms, about 90% of my life is "lived" in German. It’s somewhat surreal in a way, and different than when I studied in Vienna. Our boys, Kai (11) and Til (9), only speak to me in German despite spending their first 6-7 years of their respective lives in New York, where English was then spoken 90% of the time. The 10% of non-German usage is when the boys speak with relatives or with mamschi.

In recent years, you have hosted mentoring events for students studying abroad in Vienna. Could you talk about these mentoring events and how it was for you to come back to Vienna and "stand on the other side" of the IiVP classroom?

It was always a privilege to be asked to host mentoring events. I owe this to professor Bruce Murray and his active outreach to alumni and the time he committed to the program. I sought it as a way to give back to the IiVP community and hope the events continue to grow and return in a traditional manner once current circumstances allow.

The other part of the question about "coming back" to Vienna is interesting. I never felt like I "left" Vienna, given the strong friendships I made both while in Vienna and with Austrian students studying in Champaign during my senior year back on campus. But this all is only possible through networking, nurturing, and active social engagement. But I think it is also a sign of the strength of the program and something unique to Illinois and the LAS program.