Jonas, you recently took over as Head of Business Transformation at RWE Offshore Wind – please tell us about your new role!

Part of this role is to enable the Offshore Wind organisation to realise its massive growth plan that will expand the business from its current European core to an even more global footprint. The Business Transformation unit pools lean- and change management capabilities and will help to skill up the business to make the growth happen.

You have a great and strong track record in the energy industry and spent more than 10 years with RWE’s Consulting teams – what kept you in Consulting and would you pick the same career path again?

What kept me in Consulting was the constant opportunity to grow. There was always a new challenge, be it a larger project team to manage, becoming a people leader or doing a project outside of Europe. This constant challenge and opportunity to develop further was a huge driver for me. Indeed, I would pick a similar career path again if I had the choice.

How did working at RWE Consulting support you transition into your management role at RWE Offshore Wind?

First of all, I got the opportunity to build a network in the renewables business from Board Level to Shop Floor. Getting to know the organisation at such depth of course helps a lot. Secondly, what you might call the “consultant tool kit” is of course a great foundation for a future management role. Being able to structure and solve problems, communicate effectively with different layers of the organisiation and lead diverse project teams are only a few skills that come to mind. A career in Consulting will help you build these skills.

Looking back at your almost 10 years in Consulting at RWE – which were your favorite moments? And what are you looking forward to most now?

My favorite moments were usually when “the job was done” and the team finalised a project successfully or if a junior team member made a step forward in his performance. Witnessing the happiness and pride in both instances was really special.

Going forward I still hope to be able to create similar moments, but maybe at a bit slower pace than on a Consulting Project.