#myStart@Axpo – Meet Krzysztof
Krzysztof Włodyga – Originator at Axpo Polska
Krzysztof joined Axpo six years ago as a junior specialist in the Operations Origination department. Afterwards, he became a specialist and later decided to migrate to the Origination department where he now works as an Originator and supports Axpo's largest customers. Privately, he is a tireless dad of two little girls and passionately reads short picture books and plays with Lego blocks on the floor. In his spare time, he plays football, sleeps and plans his next trip to the Mediterranean.
How did you get to Axpo?
I am an engineer by education, and I graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology. I opened up to the energy industry during a research internship at Veolia, where I wrote my master's thesis on the operation of Warsaw's district heating network. After completing it, I was looking for a job with an international company that would allow me to develop in slightly different fields to those discussed at university – designing gas networks or selling refrigeration units didn't quite convince me. At the time, I came across an advert for Axpo – a green energy company that was looking for a junior to join the Operations Origination team. I didn't understand much of the content of the ad, and that's why it made me so curious :) I like to go against the grain, and I wasn't afraid to try something different from all my friends who have, by and large, stayed in engineering. In addition, it turned out that the company had an international reach which potentially offered a wide range of opportunities.
What did the company attract you with? Why did you decide to start your professional adventure with Axpo?
It is a modern company that operates in an exciting market environment. Recruitment interviews, including with Managing Director Grzegorz Bilinski and Alicja Piątek (from the SME department at the time), convinced me that something very interesting is being born here and that it is worth being a part of. The icing on the cake was meeting Edita Alimanović, with whom I have a unique relationship to this day. Being able to work with her for a long time and learn appropriate standards shaped me as a person and employee, and was one of the most important events on my professional path.
Sometimes unexpected things happen in life and, in my opinion, that was the case when I started working at Axpo. This opened up avenues of development for me that I didn't even know existed at the time. All the more so because Axpo is an organisation that really focuses on employee development – it gives a wide range of development opportunities and not only doesn't inhibit, but actually encourages you to test yourself in new areas and gain further experience. And if there is no such space in the company where you would like to develop, Axpo can create such an area for the employee! In addition to growth opportunities, the sense of stability provided by joining an international group and the high organisational culture developed on the basis of know-how from different markets – ensuring the highest standards in terms of employee-employer relations – are important advantages for me. Being employed at Axpo means that a certain group of people trust you, and this will not be changed by one or two mistakes, which are a natural part of the learning process and can happen to anyone.
What were your first steps in Axpo like, and what are you doing today?
The beginnings were not easy – I did not fully understand the industry language that was being spoken to me, let alone the substance of my first assignments. But it was getting easier every day – not least thanks to the group of really great people I met here. It turned out that everything can be learned and that the most important thing is your initiative, curiosity and willingness to do more than the required minimum.
As I mentioned, I started by working in the Operations Origination team, where I learnt the ins and outs of PPA and electricity and gas contracts. Looking at it from today's perspective, it was an excellent learning experience. Today, I am in the Origination team, which is led by Paweł Wierzbicki. I had the pleasure of watching the best specialists at work (such as Paweł, Mateusz Marczewski and Anna Szarkowska [among others]) and, over time and with their support, I started to run various projects on my own. I am currently responsible for negotiating contracts with green energy producers in Poland and contracts for supplying energy and gas to major industrial customers. I agree on the terms of commercial purchases or sales structures as part of tenders or existing relationships with our customers. It is a very rewarding job and leaves flexibility to choose an individual strategy for each customer. It can be stressful at times and certainly requires vigilance, but that's what makes it a constant challenge and I guess that's the point, isn't it? :)
I guess so :) Do you have any advice for people just taking their first steps on their career path?
The key point is an open mind and a willingness to learn. Ask as many questions as possible, but also seek to understand the broader context of an issue yourself. This very often helps in day-to-day work and develops incredibly. Secondly, it is worth being honest with your superiors. What's more, when I needed a change at work and wanted to change my responsibilities, I openly discussed it with my manager, and the company found the right space for me to develop further. It really is worth talking.
