Ege Bartu Şimşek, Trainee Performance & Risk Management

What was your dream job as a kid and what is your current role at Statkraft?

When I was a kid, my dream job evolved from wanting to be a chemist, to a computer scientist in high school, and finally, an industrial engineer at university. I was always good at math and later I wanted to solve business challenges with that skill. Now, I work as a trainee in our strategy department, and my mathematical background aligns well with my childhood ambitions and my current role.

Before joining the Statkraft trainee programme, I knew Statkraft was a leader in the energy industry. I wanted to work with highly competent leaders and co-workers. My experience has lived up to these expectations, as I’ve been surrounded by experienced individuals willing to share their knowledge. I’ve learned a lot from these competent people, enhancing my own skills and understanding of the industry.

Tell us a bit about a typical day as a trainee at Statkraft?

A typical day at work as a trainee starts with a cup of coffee, followed by focusing on my tasks. Recently, I've been working on designing the hydrogen future strategy, which involves modeling the future, creating financial models, and aligning with multiple stakeholders. 

My workdays include meetings with a variety of different colleagues across the business to ensure we are on the right track and can course-correct as needed. Throughout my time here, I’ve learned how to communicate and collaborate with various stakeholders, gained insights into the growing hydrogen industry, and improved my financial modeling skills. It's been an interesting challenge to shape the future strategy and align it with the broader goals of the company.

What would you say to a friend who was interested in the programme?

The energy sector, an industry over 100 years old, needs a bottom-up transformation towards more renewable energy. This need for change keeps innovation alive and makes working within renewables so exciting. The transition of this old industry creates numerous opportunities but also many challenges, which is what makes it so fascinating.

The best thing about being a trainee at Statkraft is the strong programme structure that allows you to choose and rotate between three different positions, potentially in different countries. As a multinational company, you get to work with people from various nationalities, discovering new areas you hadn’t considered before, and learning about both yourself and the company.