BrazilWorking out of Vienna on Europe-wide energy transition challenges
With employees coming from more than a dozen different countries, Magnus Energy is a truly pan-European workplace. We sat down with four members from the firm’s Vienna office to find out how diversity is helping Magnus Energy make a difference for its people and clients.
As a consulting firm specialising in the energy sector, Magnus Energy has been at the forefront of some of the sector’s biggest challenges at a European level, including power supply integration, the energy transition, and shift to net zero.
Working on projects in 15+ countries, the Netherlands-headquartered consulting group has become a hub for international talent – attracting top talent from all over Europe.
According to Daniel-Leon Schultis, this diversity is one of the firm’s greatest strengths. “Collaborating with colleagues from different cultural and professional backgrounds brings fresh ideas and innovative approaches to problem-solving. It also makes discussions more dynamic and enriches our ability to understand and address challenges from multiple angles. The international environment fosters a culture of continuous learning, which I find both inspiring and motivating.”
Colleague Lisa-Marie Mohr agrees, “Magnus Energy’s intercultural hiring approach brings together people from diverse countries and cultures. This allows to combine different strengths and interdisciplinary knowledge to provide high quality service to our clients.”
Vienna office
Both Daniel-Leon and Lisa-Marie joined Magnus Energy’s outpost in Vienna in 2024. As a technical expert in power networks, Daniel-Leon supports industry players (DSOs and TSOs) in designing and assessing control strategies and coordination schemes for distributed flexibility resources.
Lisa-Marie meanwhile focuses on the regulatory dimension of the electricity and hydrogen sector, and has during her first year provided advisory services to different client types, such as network operators, regulatory authorities, and market participants.
“Our projects have an international character,” she expands. “Therefore, Magnus Energy provides for several offices across Europe both for our daily use but also for organising internal and external meetings. Thereby, we can all benefit from the necessary infrastructure to successfully deliver services to our clients.”
Multiculturality
Julia Hernandez is also part of the Magnus Energy team in Vienna – joining approximately two years ago. Originally from Spain, she has seen the firm’s welcoming international atmosphere from an additional point of view.
“Living abroad helps to understand the multiculturality of the projects and their people,” Julia notes. “Understanding people is also understanding the ways they are used to do things, and its crucial when looking for the best means to support.”
As well as enabling a flexible and responsive service for clients, this also helps Magnus Energy to enrich the experience of its staff. Pointing to this “personal component”, Julia says that the firm’s network of offices across Europe enables its international team to move where they need to be, and maintain a good work-life balance. But the firm also uses this network to build a single united company culture.
“Magnus Energy places the necessary means at the disposal of the employees to maintain their connection with the firm and headquarters,” she states. “We travel regularly to the Netherlands, to meet with colleagues, participate in the training program, exchange on projects and create meaningful connections. For the firm it’s important to nurture the team spirit – there are no borders for Magnus Energy!”
Cross-border moves
This was something Kristina Zakova decided to take advantage of for herself. After arriving from Slovakia, she had initially worked for Magnus Energy in the Netherlands to expand her professional experience. But by relocating to Vienna, she was able to continue this experience from a more central location, closer to home.
Looking back on the experience, Kristina recalls, “The fact that Magnus Energy has an office in Vienna was one of the key factors contributing to my move. During the transition, our HR team has been very supportive and flexible, even helping me with the documentation needed to find an apartment.”
The benefit for clients
Since his arrival, Daniel-Leon has seen first-hand how all these elements have come together to facilitate client-service. On his first two client projects, for organisations based out of Austria and Croatia, he collaborated with members of different offices. “Our international footprint is very beneficial for the work we do, as we can easily meet in person to prepare for meetings and ensure smooth collaboration.”
Additionally, the team in Vienna places a strong emphasis on knowledge sharing. “We regularly meet to exchange insights, share best practices and align on strategic topics – all which grow the impact of our work with clients.”
