Without our employees, Kiwigrid would be like a fish out of water. But who motivates, develops, leads and promotes them? 

Janek Schuffenhauer is CFO and Managing Director of Kiwigrid GmbH and is celebrating his 10th anniversary at Kiwigrid this year.

What makes Janek special and what skills does he bring to Kiwigrid? 

Janek is not only our “financial wizard” who makes sure the numbers add up, but also an enthusiast when it comes to renewable energy and the latest technology. His mission: the perfect balance between ecology and economy. He is firmly convinced that both perspectives are mutually dependent. One cannot exist without the other if you want to be successful, he says. Sustainability is a fundamental value for him and determines his daily work - that is what drives him at Kiwigrid. 

“We must act economically in order to be ecologically sustainable - and vice versa.”

The balance between ecological and economic sustainability is not only crucial for Kiwigrid as a company, but also for the customers and end users of our products. “Today, people are most likely to buy products that are both 'green' and profitable,” says Janek. He illustrates this with an example from the past: 25-30 years ago, solar systems were mostly installed purely out of idealistic conviction. However, the number of interested customers and systems was very low. This changed abruptly the moment the systems became financially viable. A mass market emerged and the energy transition finally made progress. What applies to solar systems naturally also applies to Kiwigrid products. With the reduction in feed-in tariffs and rising energy prices, energy management has developed into real financial added value for end customers. Janek is therefore particularly pleased that Kiwigrid's energy management can now also be used to optimize electricity consumption costs on the basis of a dynamic electricity tariff, thus creating further financial benefits. The ongoing smart meter gateway rollout means that this option is available to more and more end customers.

Janek also lives what he pursues professionally at Kiwigrid in his private life. “At this point, I'm perhaps not just the typical 'financier',” he says. With his own solar system, storage system and, of course, Kiwigrid's energy management system, he optimizes his own consumption and self-sufficiency in order to meet the demands of sustainability both ecologically and economically. “I identify 100% with our products and can therefore also bring in a user perspective,” says Janek. And as a technology fan, he likes to test the latest features and gadgets - and not just from Kiwigrid. This sometimes leads to certain irritations at Schuffenhauer's home, for example when he enjoys his morning coffee on the terrace early in the summer: It can happen that the external blinds on the patio door suddenly lower unexpectedly, as Janek's “smart home” automatically wants to keep the apartment as cool as possible. He is happy about such automation, but some family members in their pyjamas outside on the closed patio are not always.  :)

What is important to Janek in his day-to-day work?

Above all, it is the ability to work in a team, loyalty and honesty that he values. Janek says:

“In a good team, feedback and criticism should be expressed openly and not kept behind closed doors. I like it best when problems or questions are brought directly to the table so that we can then look for suitable solutions together using objective arguments.”

He also says that the highest possible level of motivation is an important factor for him and his work. With the identification for the cause or the product, for which one is also enthusiastic as a user in the best case, such motivation comes almost by itself.

His understanding of leadership is characterized by ...

... a balance of encouragement and challenge as well as goal orientation. “You can only lead successfully with goals," Janek is convinced. These are primarily the corporate goals of Kiwigrid itself, but also the professional goals of the employees, which ideally go hand in hand. Janek is an analytical and questioning character, which puts him in the perfect role as CFO.

“I'm often not convinced of a new idea quite so quickly,” he says. “I need data, facts and arguments."

However, once he is convinced of this idea, he is happy to work hard and with conviction to implement it - just like at home when the blinds suddenly take on a life of their own early on.

Just as you need goals, you also need to plan how to achieve them. Once a comprehensive and robust plan has been drawn up and agreed, Janek insists that it is adhered to.

“We need stability and focus to implement our corporate planning and vision,” says Janek. “We know exactly what we need to do and in what steps in order to be successful. If we consistently follow this plan, which all decision-makers have agreed on, we will be able to exploit the outstanding opportunities in the market. What we need for this is trust - from our employees and customers, but also from our investors.”

All three groups are extremely important to Kiwigrid. We create and strengthen trust when we come as close as possible to our plans and (product) promises.

“The trust that has grown in this way is the foundation for the future and the realization of Kiwigrid's vision.”