Personal Experience Christine Leukel

You are searching challenging tasks in the energy sector and like networking? Welcome to the IGP!

I was asked at the assessment center, in which area I would like to work preferably. As soon as I successfully passed the assessment center, I was directly placed there.

Starting my first project in October 2008, I had the chance to gain a broad overview of the daily business and current challenges of Financial Controlling in such a diversified company as RWE Energy AG with many differing subsidiaries. For one of them I developed a customer value model; a very exciting and informative project because of market development, intense competition about customers and increasing churn rates. I was fully responsible for the shaping and the progress of the model while supported by a supervisor. With public and internal information, I built a broad, theoretically well-founded customer value model for the private customer sector. I learned about operational processes and strategy in sales and marketing and discussed data evaluation aspects with the team of an IT-project. My project results were handed over to another project team, which was in charge of its implementation.

Already during the project I realised, how many new aspects I got to know and could use within only a few weeks. With my project I could contribute in reaching challenging targets in this competitive business area.

My second project was located at the other end of the value chain in the field of power generation by lignite. In a first step I analysed unplanned non-availability of generation units. Then I prepared forecasts and built a simulation scheme for economic efficiency calculations of maintenance strategies. Besides, I got the chance to tour the premises and power houses.

My projects at both ends of the value chain as well as the switch from commercial to engineering surrounding show the variety of options. The positioning of RWE along the whole value chain of energy supply allows to choose among an impressive scope of topics. You are organising your projects individually, so it is up to you. I very much appreciate this freedom!

I experienced strong interest in the IGP projects, since they have arised from present challenges in company divisions. So you are asked to contribute to the business development and direct problem solving. Certainly, the expectations for the project results are high, just in line with the IGP standards and your own expectations. Another very important aspect to be mentioned is that I was always welcomed and fully integrated as the member in a friendly and helpful team.

I am currently in Budapest for three months working on another project for RWE ELMÜ. To learn more about it, feel free to contact me.

Networking and support in the IGP

The communication between current and former IGP participants is intensive. Within a short time I became a member of a strong and amicable network beyond pure employee relations. Everyone benefits from the individual contacts of network-members and contributes with own contacts. Information and experience is exchanged actively.

One of the main benefits and a substantial feature distinguishing the IGP from other programmes is the high standard of support of your individual development:

1. Intensive assistance by the human resource department
2. Mentors share their knowledge and experience and accompany the individual development of their mentees
3. External coaches adding the third angle

In return you get the chance to contribute to the IGP concept with your own ideas and suggestions. Thus, following trainee generations benefit from the inventiveness and engagement of the former trainees. One example for this process is the “Energy Seminar”, several days of diverse energy relevant lectures, initiated fully by the IGP trainees.

I had not completely grasped the top quality of the IGP until the assessment center, where we had the chance to listen to reports of the former IGP trainees and to ask questions. The programme provides squarely the aspects described in the advertisement. However, the written words do not entirely cope with the attractiveness of the IGP.