Personal Experience Christian Ellsiepen

Hands-on business experience at RWE

After the completion of my business studies it was important to me to enter my working life with a job that offered the opportunity to gather in experiences in different fields of business in a short time. With my participation in RWE’s IGP I could accomplish this objective.

During six project assignments I got in-depth insight in the different divisions of RWE Group. In different functional areas I could yield my skills and gather valuable experiences.
I was enthused by the demand to accomplish during each assignment. This requirement assures that participants of the IGP will work on important and relevant projects. At the start of each assignment a target agreement is closed. This allows to monitor the success of each project.

One challenge of the IGP is working in an international environment. For example my first assignment was in the Czech Republic at RWE Transgas. During the project I was responsible for implementing a new system for credit risk management. It is fulfilling to see that the System which I implemented is still in use after five years.

An overview of my project assignments:

  1. RWE Transgas, Risk Management, Prague
  2. RWE Energy, Strategy, Dortmund
  3. RWE Dea, Controlling, Hamburg
  4. RWE AG, Corporate Finance, Essen
  5. Thames Water, Engineering, Reading
  6. RWE Key Account, Sales, Essen

I enjoyed to be confronted with new callenges during each project assignment, to experience different business cultures and to have the opportunity to get to know many interesting colleagues at RWE. Still today these experiences and the acquaintance to many colleagues within RWE Group help me in my day-to-day work.

Thanks to the positive experiences and many contacts to various business units I found myself in the pleasant situation that I could chose from different attractive job offers after the IGP. I decided to continue my carrier by joining the corporate finance department of RWE AG. Within the department I am responsible for structured finance and M&A-support. I participate in major acquisition projects and develop structures for complex financing transactions. In this function I am often the interface between the operating companies and the banking market.

Even three years after the IGP the internal network which I have build during the programme is a massive support for my day-to-day work. For the coordination with different business units it is very helpful to know the relevant colleagues personally from previous IGP assignments.

The IGP exceeded my expectations and was the ideal staring point for my carrier within RWE Group.