Corporate Culture as a Success Factor for the Energy Transition

The path to a climate-friendly energy future is ambitious – and at the same time urgently necessary. It requires new technologies, clear regulatory frameworks, and above all: people who make change happen. Axpo is actively shaping this transformation—as a driver, energy provider, partner, and employer that invests, grows, and takes responsibility. Since 2019/20, more than 1,200 new jobs have been created in Switzerland. Awards and top rankings in employee surveys confirm the daily commitment.

The energy industry is in transition. Spring 2022: energy prices are rising rapidly, supply chains are coming under pressure, geopolitical tensions are intensifying.
At the same time, demand for electricity is increasing – due to electrification, digitalisation, and new mobility. The supply is also changing: away from centralised, fossil-based technologies towards decentralised, renewable solutions.

For Axpo, one thing is clear: the energy transition is a collective social effort, and Axpo sees its role in actively shaping it – by providing reliable, affordable and renewable energy.

Growth alone is not enough

Axpo is growing in areas that are crucial for the energy future: from production and trading to digital solutions. To remain effective in a complex, interconnected and fast-paced environment, agility is needed. It is the prerequisite for speed, networking and implementation power – technologically, structurally and culturally. Traditional management reaches its limits in this context.

The energy future demands new answers and organisations that have the courage to change, make quick decisions and thus have the power to implement together. Axpo has actively shaped this transformation.

Culture as a Strategic Lever

A clear example of this is The Power of Us—a cultural and leadership initiative that Axpo launched with conviction. Together with the University of St. Gallen, the approach was conceptually refined and accompanied.

Through months of reflection and development, Axpo systematically analysed and realigned leadership behaviours, organisational barriers, and cultural friction points.

The Axpo values form the basis for a shared understanding of how collaboration, leadership and implementation are lived in everyday work.

The focus was not on culture for culture’s sake, but on culture as a prerequisite for effectiveness in a complex environment.

Impact that attracts and empowers

The results speak for themselves. Axpo is once again considered one of the Best Workplaces™ in Switzerland and was awarded the EFMD Excellence in Practice Gold Award together with the University of St. Gallen for the initiative The Power of Us.

In the most recent survey, 9 out of 10 employees describe Axpo as a great workplace, and 87 percent would recommend the company.

This is also visible outside the company: Axpo ranked first in the Utilities category of the Financial Times' list of Europe's Best Employers, placed 44th on the Fortune 100 Europe list of top employers, and came in first in the Handelszeitung ranking as well.

“Technology alone won’t drive the energy transition – it takes people who want to shape the future. Our culture gives them the space to make it happen.” – Henriette Wendt, COO Axpo Group

People make it happen

Electricity demand is rising. So is the need for innovation and forward-thinking solutions. Meeting these needs takes resources and capabilities. The energy transition is not only about technologies and systems—it also affects structures, collaboration, and skills. It places high demands on the job market. Without people driving change, nothing moves.

Industry analysts predict that several hundred thousand additional skilled workers will be needed in Switzerland by 2035 to successfully implement grid expansion, digitalisation and decarbonisation.[1]

Axpo is not only diversifying its energy mix but also investing in the people who make the transformation possible. With purpose, clarity, and a strong culture, Axpo is creating the conditions to attract talent and deliver impact together.

Since fiscal year 2019/20, over 1,200 new jobs have been created in Switzerland, many of them in engineering, IT, trading, and energy production. These are the fields where technology, market access, and energy security come together. At the same time, Axpo is training more than 450 young people—and making targeted investments in tomorrow’s talent.

Culture enables the energy future

Culture is not a side topic. It’s the infrastructure for change. And at Axpo, it is a central lever to enable sustainable future through innovative energy solutions. For new ideas. For bold decisions. For lasting impact.

Learn more about Axpo as an employer here.

[1] Quelle: economiesuisse (2022), „Fachkräftemangel: Eine wachsende Herausforderung für die Schweiz“