One day with… Larissa, Diversity & Inclusion Manager

Having completed her master's degree in industrial engineering, Larissa Leienbach joined Uniper in 2016 as a market analyst on the trading floor. Three years later, she moved to the Governmental Relations department, where she accompanied the German coal phase-out from the Uniper perspective. Today, she is Uniper's first Diversity & Inclusion Manager. "I am glad that this position has been created. Diversity and inclusion are very close to my heart and I have been actively involved in these topics since 2017 — though only in addition to my other full-time job. Despite having contributed in that way before, I wouldn't have imagined taking this career step as it's so different from my previous jobs. This is an exciting development for me," says Larissa Leienbach.

She is currently working on a long-term D&I strategy that will be applied across departments. "I am currently analysing the status-quo to find out where Uniper stands in terms of diversity and inclusion, what challenges we see and where further action needs to be taken. Together with my colleagues, I will then use this as a basis to identify the most relevant topics and link them to the different departments so that the added value of D&I becomes visible for as many business areas as possible. For example, I will talk to the Human Resources department about the recruiting process or the trainee program. By means of a continuous exchange with various teams and leaders, I get to know the perspectives of different employees and gain a better understanding of their needs. I also provide advice to teams and leaders on this topic. Additional workshops, presentations or internal initiatives are intended to help increase mutual understanding so that, at best, everyone feels seen, heard and respected," Larissa says about her new daily routine. "In alignment with the Management Board and the different business areas, we want to develop a strategy that aims to give every individual—regardless of age, gender, social or cultural background or other characteristics—the opportunity to develop him- or herself in the best possible way at our company."

As a trained business coach, Larissa knows that professional success is not just a matter of climbing up the career ladder as quickly as possible. "It's rather about getting to know myself and finding out what I really want. My new job, which is completely different from my previous roles, makes me feel like I am having an impact. Uniper gives me the opportunity to help contribute to a society that I myself would like to live in, a society in which individual groups are not clearly favored or disadvantaged and where everyone has the same opportunities," Larissa remarks with enthusiasm. "My advice to young professionals on starting a career would be similar: trust yourself and don’t pressure yourself to fulfill external expectations. We should be focused on our interests and strengths and not be afraid to take a whole new path if we really are passionate about it. There are no wrong decisions — in the "worst-case" scenario you discover something new about yourself in the process."