Insights from Almuth, former Senior Consultant at E.ON Inhouse Consulting.
Could you briefly introduce yourself and your career journey at E.ON and E.ON Inhouse Consulting?
After completing my PhD in Mechanical Process Engineering, I joined E.ON Inhouse Consulting in 2023 as a Senior Consultant.
I knew I enjoyed project-based work and initially wanted to pursue a career in industrial plant engineering, when a friend recommended me to join a career event from E.ON Inhouse Consulting. The energy sector had long been on my radar as an interesting industry with many complex challenges requiring creative solutions but I had no prior exposure to consulting. In the end, I was intrigued by the fast-paced environment of consulting and the highly motivated, ambitious people I met at the event.
During my almost three years at E.ON Inhouse Consulting, I worked on projects across energy networks, infrastructure solutions, and digital transformations. I left my final role as Project Manager to take on a new challenge outside of consulting and joined E.ON Digital Technology as a Senior Manager in Finance. In this role, I lead an interdisciplinary transformation project focused on shaping the future of processes, data, and AI-enabled solutions in finance.
What advice would you give to women starting their careers?
- Choose environments that inspire you and help you grow. Don’t stay in a room where you feel like you are the smartest person.
- Don’t overthink career decisions. Very few choices are irreversible, and most experiences will teach you something valuable, even if they lead you in a different direction than originally planned.
- „When in doubt, think like an average white man.“ (Best advice I’ve ever gotten.)
What did you expect from E.ON Inhouse Consulting – and what surprised you?
Many of my expectations were met. One of the greatest advantages of consulting was exposure. In my first role, I gained insights into more E.ON businesses, functions, and topics than many people would experience throughout an entire career.
What surprised me most was the team culture. Joining E.ON Inhouse Consulting, I was looking forward to working with ambitious, curious people who were eager to learn and create value, and that is exactly what I found. However, before joining, I assumed that a highly ambitious environment with frequent project changes might make it difficult to build lasting relationships.
The opposite turned out to be true. I worked with some of the most inspiring people I have met professionally, and many of them have become close friends. The combination of high motivation, working with purpose, and a whole lot of fun and teamwork was incredible.
Was there a project, experience, or person at E.ON Inhouse Consulting that shaped you?
Many experiences shaped me throughout my time at E.ON Inhouse Consulting. One aspect that had a particularly strong impact was the opportunity to work closely with senior leaders across the company from day one – literally.
Working closely with experienced leaders, directors, and board members gave me a broad range of role models and perspectives. It allowed me to better understand different leadership styles, decision-making approaches, and career paths. This experience helped broaden my horizons and continues to influence how I approach my own role today.
How did E.ON Inhouse Consulting influence your career path and the opportunities you saw for yourself?
E.ON Inhouse Consulting changed the way I thought about opportunities in two important ways.
First, it encouraged me to think bigger. Working with senior leaders such as our former CFO Anne Bicking and our CEO Rebecca Beckert was particularly influential. After spending almost ten years in engineering, it was the first time I had worked closely with women in senior leadership positions. Seeing these role models made me realize that leadership was not only something I admired, but something I wanted to pursue myself.
Second, E.ON Inhouse Consulting provided visibility and a strong network across E.ON. It opened doors to opportunities I would never have imagined when starting my career. I initially thought my path would remain within traditional engineering disciplines. Today, I work in Finance, within an IT company, driving transformation and AI implementation. E.ON Inhouse Consulting supported me in finding the best career path for me – not a linear one.
"Personally, I see consulting as a field with great career opportunities, such as early access to senior leadership and decision-making environments, which can be highly valuable for career development for men and women alike."
Why did you choose to stay with E.ON after E.ON Inhouse Consulting?
During my time there, I experienced many different parts of E.ON and not only grew expertise in the energy sector but also gained a deep understanding of the company. I saw a lot of opportunities to create impact at scale. E.ON plays a key role in Europe’s energy transition, and even small improvements can positively affect millions of customers and businesses across the continent.
I also felt that the trust and development I received created opportunities beyond consulting. The strong reputation of the consulting team and the skills developed there were important factors in my transition to my current role.
What opportunities and challenges have you experienced as a woman in consulting?
Personally, I see consulting as a field with great career opportunities, such as early access to senior leadership and decision-making environments, which can be highly valuable for career development for men and women alike. Measures such as transparent compensation structures, clear promotion frameworks, and merit-based development paths are firmly established in many consulting organizations. In my experience, this already contributes to equal opportunity compared to other male-dominated fields.
One challenge that I do see is that women continue to face with higher demands when it comes to balancing work and family which can require more capacity than their male colleagues need to allocate to this topic. The challenges, of course, are highly individual and apply to everyone differently. However, they continue to exist – if not for you, maybe for your female colleagues.
What is one opportunity at E.ON Inhouse Consulting people shouldn’t be afraid to take?
Take learning opportunities, especially when they feel slightly beyond your comfort zone.
If you studied philosophy and have the opportunity to work on an energy networks project, go for it. If you are asked to lead a workshop with senior management and have never facilitated one before, go for it. If you want to learn from someone whose experience seems intimidating, whether that is a colleague, a project lead, or a director, go for it.
One of the greatest advantages of E.ON Inhouse Consulting is that people are given responsibility early and are encouraged to grow through experience. Many of the opportunities that shape your career will initially feel slightly out of reach. Those are often the ones most worth taking.
