Theresa Ganslmeier on her first year as a consultant in energy
It has been just under a year since Theresa Ganslmeier started life as a management consultant. Determined to embrace fast-track growth while making an impact for society, she joined Magnus Energy. We spoke to her about her first experiences at the firm and how she is contributing to Europe’s energy transition.
After completing her studies, Theresa Ganslmeier was keen to find a way to keep developing her skills, while utilising them across as wide an area as possible. Life at Magnus Energy has provided exactly that, with projects and clients spanning the energy sector of numerous European countries.
“Working in the energy sector in general is great, and at Magnus Energy, I can really work on the bigger picture.”
In her role as consultant, Theresa Ganslmeier works on multiple pan-European projects, including several centred in her native Germany.
Citing one engagement, she says, “I have worked on the German Market Forum. The four German transmission systems operators (TSOs) want to have a conversation about current topics in the energy sector with a variety of stakeholders. We organise a yearly online event for that, with different experts at the table who exchange their points of view. My role was to support the even and liaising about the topics discussed at the event.”
TSOs play an integral role in the energy landscape: they build, maintain and operate the high-voltage electricity connections that – in the end – power homes and electric cars, among others. In particular, TSOs need to coordinate how they manage the power grid, to avoid energy shortages and enable a smooth transition to renewables.
To that end, another project Theresa Ganslmeier is involved in is working to help four Germany TSOs implement a new way to manage the grid. “The goal is to move from preventive to curative measures to ensure grid stability and safety,” she explains.
And then there is Core, a long-running project aimed at European electricity market integration for which Magnus Energy is the main delivery partner. 16 TSOs from 13 countries are involved. “I support the legal working group. There are a lot of legal aspects to working together with such a large group of international organisations. My role covers areas such as agreements, contracts, compliance issues, and more.”
The integration project is aiming to create operational preconditions to optimise the use of the electricity system within the region.
Theresa Ganslmeier meanwhile finds herself in arguably the most complex chain of the project. While 12 countries all have one TSO dealing with the impact and changes, Germany has four. This injects challenges. More coordination is needed, more alignment, and there is a bigger gap between local specifics and the European blueprint. And while that makes her job more challenging, it at the same time also provide a steep learning curve.
Development opportunities
On top of her on the job learning, Theresa Ganslmeier says Magnus Energy has taken great care of her skills and development. “There are great development opportunities. There are a lot of trainings, not just about the energy sector, but also about project management and consulting skills.”
“The nice thing is, that at Magnus Energy, you can develop yourself and become an expert and work at a more strategic level.” She continues, “And, the colleagues are great, really great.”
The collegial atmosphere has been a big help for Theresa Ganslmeier as she settles into the role – having not only moved into a new job, but a new country in the process. Relocating from Germany to the Netherlands for the position, she has enjoyed the new culture – and in particular the Friday afternoon ‘borrel’ – an end-of-week party with drinks and food – which she had not encountered before arriving in Amsterdam.
“It’s a great way to connect with colleagues and to start the weekend,” she notes. “I believe this is a good Dutch habit.”