Last but not least, the baton was passed to Leonard Gerch, who asked the students to call him Leo right at the beginning and works as a Managing Consultant at Horváth in the energy sector. Leo lives in Berlin, has a great passion for tennis and usually plays early in the morning. He completed his engineering studies in Berlin and then did various internships in the energy sector in the US as well as in Valencia and Munich. In his role as a consultant, he mostly carries out projects in the strategy area or develops new business models for clients. His current project focuses on the analysis and optimization of processes.
Horváth was founded in 1981 and originated in the financial sector. According to Leo, the Horváth DNA has the following meaning: “We’re all on the same side, always working together, and above all, working to create sustainable value.” In addition, Leo mentioned that Horvarth and other partners founded a start-up called Evety. Regarding challenges that a consultant expects, he had this to share: “I enjoy traveling, but it’s also challenging to balance both – the extra work and personal life.”
Following the presentation, Leo Gerch even asked master’s student Nataliia Bieliaieva to be available as an interviewee for her master’s thesis. MBS Career Center Manager Stephanie Stangl stated: “That’s exactly why I love these events so much. You have the chance to exchange ideas and make new contacts. Maybe you students will then present your profession at an event in a few years.” For master’s student Nataliia Bieliaieva, the event was also a great opportunity: “We were able to meet consulting professionals from different business fields and broaden our own understanding of the role of a consultant and how to get there. For me – being interested in the energy industry – it was a perfect complement to meet Mr. Gerch and get useful insights from him.”
At the end of the presentations, the students had the opportunity to ask questions. The consultants gave the current students a lot of advice for their future careers:
"We are looking for team players who are interested in digitalization, and who are also interested in using the tools that go with it. COVID-19 has changed the way we work forever, work-life balance is becoming more important. Clients also enjoy not having to pay so many travel expenses." (Kathrin Rienecker)
"Analytical as well as communication skills are needed. Be interested in the projects and the customers, try to understand the person behind the problem - and help them with your expertise as much as possible. Be aware of your fresh perspective on business processes. Expectation management is important: present the tasks and to-dos as crisply as possible to avoid creating false expectations. Get your first experience at start-ups." (Leonard Gerch)
"Communication is key - be aware of what drives people, understand the problem behind it and, above all, understand the customer's goals. In your day-to-day work you will always gain new insights, you need to be open and take the opportunities as they come. Learn to enjoy getting out of your comfort zone." (Katrin Gillett)
