Continuing education and professional development are of outstanding importance to the corporate management of the RWTÜV Group. „The know-how of our employees is our most important asset!“ is the credo pursued with full conviction by managing directors Thomas Biedermann and Dr. Fabian Fechner.
Following comprehensive management and personnel training for the first and second tier of leadership in recent years and months, as well as single-topic training on AI, innovation, and a certification of HR personnel in Profile Dynamics®, RWTÜV has expanded its HR Development Program in 2025 with an exciting new module: the Young Professional Summit (YPS), a training program for ambitious (junior) managers.
The group aims to identify and develop talented individuals early on, providing them with opportunities for personal growth. Their development will be supported in an inspiring environment, with their skills intentionally strengthened. A central idea in the spirit of move AS ONE: All participants will get to know colleagues from different RWTÜV Group companies. They will network, exchange experiences, and thus create the foundation for group-wide collaboration.
A total of 45 talents participated in the YPS cohort of 2025, gaining extensive experience in areas ranging from modern further training concepts to various collaboration, creativity, and process methods. Their career development was actively supported, and they received individual feedback on their performance and teamwork. Trained observers analyzed group work, presentations, and the moderation of case studies, providing valuable feedback.
The interactive in-person sessions focused on topics such as strategy, innovation, change processes, communication, and team dynamics. The establishment of internal corporate networks with the goal of developing synergistic business ideas for the RWTÜV Group was the motto of all three YPS events in 2025.
The three in-person events took place in March in Düsseldorf, in July in Cologne, and in November in Bonn. Each group consisted of around 15 participants from various subsidiaries of the RWTÜV Group. This ensured that the teams were as diverse as possible and brought different perspectives. Talents from all three business areas were represented: Telecommunications, Energy & Environment, and Insurance Services. This fostered interdisciplinary exchange and the development of cross-divisional ideas.
Natascha Winter, the responsible organizer from the corporate headquarters, assembled groups of five talents each beforehand, deliberately mixed from different subsidiaries. On-site, the teams worked on practical case studies in six work phases, which dealt with future topics from various industries; from digital transformations and cybersecurity to process optimization using AI, as well as sustainability strategies and innovative solutions for water and real estate management. The diversity of topics ensured that the participants were not only challenged professionally but also gained new perspectives for developing synergistic business ideas.
The role distribution was an integral part of the concept: in each work phase, different participants took on the role of team lead and presenter. This ensured that every talent had the responsibility of leading their own group and presenting the results at least once during the program. This rotation ensured that everyone could actively contribute and further develop their leadership and communication skills. The teams were accompanied by observer tandems, consisting of HR representatives from RWTÜV companies and external experts. These tandems collected and exchanged their observations at the end of each day, based on which Natascha Winter was able to provide individual feedback to all participants afterwards.
An important tool was the „ProfileDynamics®” personality analysis. HR colleagues from the RWTÜV Group, cetecom advanced, IB Nordhorn, Enoplan, apro.gmbh, and Van Ameyde Deutschland had completed „ProfileDynamics®” training, including certification, to prepare themselves for conducting their own motivational analyses with employees. The PD toolkit offers real leverage for leadership, development, and collaboration. Together with Wibke Schindler from Klar & Quirlig, this training also intensively addressed other exciting topics, including the use of AI in HR, personnel cost planning, HR at the decision-maker's table, and the use of modern HR systems.
A few weeks after the YPS in-person sessions, the groups presented their results to the managing directors of the companies in online meetings. Thomas Biedermann attended all YPS events and used the opportunity, for instance in Cologne, for a guided tour through the old town of Cologne, which offered a varied backdrop for a relaxed exchange. Sociable evenings rounded off each event and promoted networking between the subsidiaries.
Natascha Winter is convinced: „The Young Professional Summit has shown how much potential lies within our dedicated employees. All participants received valuable impetus for their personal and professional development, which they can immediately utilize in their daily work. At the same time, we were able to identify talents who are particularly suitable for further development measures, for example, for modules of our Management Development Program, which is planned to start in 2026. This program is not only aimed at the identified talents but also offers other managers the opportunity to specifically expand their competencies. As soon as sufficient registrations for another YPS event are available, it will also be planned. All participants found the exchange inspiring and motivating. Furthermore, this type of cross-subsidiary talent scouting proved to be optimal not only for bringing our strategic directive move AS ONE to life but also for immediately demonstrating how we all benefit from synergistic innovations.“