One day with… Tim Maaßen, Digital Sales Manager

Studying a Master's degree is something that Tim had wanted to do for a long time, but various circumstances had always got in the way — until he came to work for us. The 27-year-old was able to get up to speed quickly and therefore decided to take on his long-term goal and study a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the IU International University of Applied Sciences, all alongside his full-time position as a digital sales manager. The flexibility of both the International University of Applied Sciences and Uniper made this possible.

The MBA opens new doors for Tim — he no longer just sells electricity and gas to industrial customers. By enhancing his previous management experience through his studies, Tim can actively support his manager with matters related to management and strategy, as well as with selected decisions. This includes discussing new sales approaches and drawing up relevant presentations. 

Tim also contributes to the further development of the Uniper Digital team, acting as a sparring partner from a sales perspective. He also helps to develop digital sales tools. Tim starts the day by calling customers, taking care of sales business and sending offers. Since this involves large sums of money, close collaboration is required — each offer is reviewed by another member of the team. "I've worked in teams where collaboration is approached very differently — but here it's really on another level, which is great. It's all very friendly and keeps close together— whether you're talking to the Management Board or to a student trainee. Everyone is treated the same here," says Tim.

But it was not always clear that Tim would end up in sales. After graduating from high school, he studied mechanical engineering. Shortly after completing his bachelor's degree, he joined a small mechanical engineering company. Working as part of a team of just five people, he not only had to design automotive parts himself, but also sell them to customers. "This is what piqued my interest in sales," he says. During his next job as a Business Manager for one of the biggest engineering service provider in the EU—where he worked with energy companies including Uniper on joint projects—he discovered that Uniper was an interesting employer and then applied for a role himself. 

"What I like most about Uniper is how people interact with each other, whether other Uniper employees or with customers. In the energy industry, people talk honestly and openly about things. It's like a big family and you are highly valued, especially by colleagues who are much more experienced," explains Tim. "I didn't always have a similar experience in my previous jobs, so it came as an even greater surprise when I experienced this approach in the energy industry. Uniper's strengths are definitely collaboration and flexibility."

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