“From challenge to challenge”

Anniversary interviews
20 years of Axpo in Poland

Twenty years ago, Axpo opened its office in Warsaw. Since then, the Polish subsidiary has become a major player in the country’s energy market. With an innovative, customer-centric approach, today Axpo Polska ranks among the leading marketers of renewable energy in Poland, supplying green electricity to industrial customers, SMEs and retail clients.

In the previous interview from the series, you heard from Grzegorz Biliński, Managing Director of Axpo Polska, who outlined the company's beginnings and his vision for Axpo's development on the Polish market. After such an introduction, we invite you to meet the other members of the management board, who will give you a closer look on how the market in Poland has been changing over the years and the personal challenges they have had to face. You probably know them a little less than Grzegorz, that is why we decided to give you a little more insight into their profiles – they will also shed some light on what their path looked like before they became a part of Axpo, their management style and daily work.

“From challenge to challenge” – an interview with Katarzyna Bienias, Member of the Board, SME Sales Director at Axpo Polska

You have been in the energy industry for 13 years but started your career in other sectors. What made you decide to try the energy industry?

My degree in management prepared me for a career in the broad field of business. I started my professional adventure in marketing and sales in the furniture industry. The next step was executive MBA studies and project management in the telecommunications industry, which – as it later turned out – opened the way to a new job in the energy sector. One of the energy trading companies was looking for a project manager. That's how I have joined the industry although, at the time, I didn't expect to stay with it for so long. Yet, in retrospect, I am grateful for this choice. Working in the energy industry offers many opportunities for development, which is one of the main drivers for me. I feel very much at home in this environment.

Before joining Axpo, you held a director position at another company in the energy industry. Why did you decide to move to Axpo? What attracted you to the company?

I worked for a competitive energy trading company for many years. During this time, I went through several departments and levels in the organisational structure. Initially, ambitious tasks gradually became no longer a challenge for me. I don't like standing still so, after four years, I started looking for an opportunity to tackle something new. In 2014, such an opportunity occurred in a proposal to join Axpo and develop its offer to the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) sector.

At that time, the SME department at Axpo consisted of just a few people but the company itself had great potential. The team and the perspective of never-ending challenges, hard work and measurable effects of my actions convinced me to go for the change. The chance to create reality in Axpo and influence the current SME market in Poland was significant to me.

What did this market use to be like and why was it such a challenge?

It all started when the possibility to change energy retailers was introduced in 2007, which was a direct result of separating the functions of energy sale and distribution (i.e., the third-party access principle). Despite the years passing by, in 2014, there were still few companies that had an offer tailored to the needs of small- and medium-sized enterprises. There were fewer products for this customer group and they were more conventional and not adapted to this customer profile. Also, customer service was an area for development along with the need to simplify processes and educate customers.

To design customised products for SMEs, one must first have a good understanding of the needs of such customers. What do small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs expect from an energy retailer? How have you responded to these needs?

For SME customers, simplicity is paramount. We have developed dedicated products but have also simplified our processes as much as possible and launched a customer service desk. Entrepreneurs must feel that they are working with a strong partner who can quickly and efficiently explain any doubts or suggest the best solution for their company. Moreover, we are constantly working on solutions that will make changing retailer and concluding an agreement with Axpo even easier. Recently, we have enabled companies to sign agreements online without leaving home. We are planning further improvements.

SME entrepreneurs also value security in terms of energy supply and price stability. When cooperating with Axpo, they can have both. Even with price fluctuations on the stock exchange, that we experienced in 2021, our customers are guaranteed that the provisions of their agreements and price lists will remain unchanged until the agreement term expires.

Today Axpo is one of the strongest independent players on the energy sales market in the B2B segment in Poland. What do you and your team face now?

Since I started working in Axpo, we have seen the market continue dynamic growth but also undergo significant changes. Some companies have reduced their activities or withdrawn from the market altogether. There were probably many reasons for such decisions but they certainly included: too slow response to changing market conditions, an inadequate offering or large price fluctuations. We, on the other hand, have consistently implemented and continue to implement our strategy. It has not always been easy but, in this way, we have earned the trust of our customers and business partners. The same is true today. Rising prices are a challenge for trading companies. Despite the challenging period, we have a stable position because we manage our risks well and introduce new flexible products. Axpo's experience from other markets and cooperation with the group's subsidiaries located outside Poland is also great support.

And we should not forget the COVID-19 pandemic. We had planned to launch an e-commerce channel yet the circumstances sped up the implementation. Suddenly, we found ourselves in a situation where face-to-face contact was limited. Developing online sales was the right response – not only to the pandemic but also to the needs of a digitalising society.

And what kind of internal transformations has the company undergone? You started with a department of just a few people and now Axpo in Poland has about 140 people.

The dynamic growth of the company was also quite challenging. Indeed, in a short period of time, our team has grown from a few to about 140 people – largely through the development of the segment of sales to small- and medium-sized enterprises. This required us to act quickly and be flexible. It was necessary to give a proper organisation structure to a company that was growing stronger every day. At this point, it is imperative to take care of the organisational culture within the company. We have tried our best to convey Axpo's values to our colleagues and create an organisation where everyone feels important, appreciated and co-responsible. What is more, they are not afraid to ask 'why' and make mistakes. What could be more valuable than feeling that your work makes sense and that the company trusts you to do your best?

You talk about change and success in the energy company. How do you find yourself there as a woman? The industry is still perceived as 'male' in Poland. Is it becoming more and more female-friendly or do stereotypes still exist? What is the reaction to a female boss?

The energy industry likes women. And I don't think I have an answer to why this is so. Yes, stereotypes suggest that it's a typically male industry – probably a dozen or so years ago, that was the case. For some time now, however, we have seen a change in this trend. This makes me very optimistic because I believe that women have many qualities which make them successful in high-level positions: empathy, the ability to work in a team, but also qualities that used to be attributed only to men – decisiveness and the ability to make quick decisions.

But the key thing for me is that we understand that although everyone is different, we are equal and can complement each other. I don't like to look at someone's professional development or career from a gender perspective. I understand the discussion about female bosses because we face the problem of discrimination, which cannot be ignored. However, this is changing. At Axpo, we treat employees equally – work is evaluated in terms of competence, education, qualifications, not gender, age or beliefs. In the Polish branch of the company, as many as 70% of heads of departments are women – which confirms that our values can also be seen in our actions.

How do you relax after a demanding day – what do you do after work? How do you spend your free time?

I often do new things. I look for new hobbies, sports or courses of study... I often have to be stopped from enrolling at another university or starting a new course. I used to think it was inconsistency. Probably a bit like that. But I also see big advantages – I am open to the new and unknown, ready for frequent changes and accepting uncertainty.

Physical activity such as exercising, cycling and running gives me a lot. But I also enjoy very long walks and driving. I love reading; I read dozens of books a year. I also get great pleasure from spending time with my children although I do find it one of life's biggest challenges. They teach me something that no professional job has ever been able to teach – patience ;-)

Katarzyna Bienias, Member of the Board, SME Sales Director at Axpo Polska

She gained 13 years of experience in the energy industry by holding a director position at RWE. Since 2014, she has been working with Axpo Polska. Currently, as one of the few women in the energy industry, she manages the sales division, where she has built a strong team with a partner network of over 600 people. She has contributed to positioning the company as one of the strongest independent players in the energy sales market in the B2B segment.

Graduate of MBA studies at Universite du Quebec and Warsaw School of Economics. Privately, she is a mother of three girls and is passionate about CSR issues, in which she completed courses in at the University of Cambridge.

Go to Katarzyna Bienias' profile on LinkedIn.