Kerstin Andreae named Energy Manager of the Year

The Chair of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) is honoured as 2025 Energy Manager of the Year.

The E&M Energy Manager of the Year award goes to an association executive. The jury voted by a large majority in favour of Kerstin Andreae, Chair of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). She has been at the helm of Germany’s largest energy association – with around 2,000 member companies – since 2019. The Energy Manager of the Year award was created over 20 years ago by E&M publisher Helmut Sendner. The Energie & Management media group uses the award to honour outstanding achievements in the field of sustainable energy management. A jury of experts from the energy industry, science and the media selects the annual winner.

The manner in which Andreae has guided BDEW through turbulent times in recent years impressed the jury. Following the halt in Russian gas supplies, she played a key role in reorganising the delivery of gas to Germany. She is committed to transforming heat supply and focuses on the targeted expansion and promotion of largely municipal heating networks. Another issue close to her heart is planning security for the energy industry in times of the energy transition, which she supports wholeheartedly. BDEW has evolved continuously under her leadership. This has involved striking a balance between large energy suppliers, municipal utilities and regional energy suppliers and small municipal companies, as well as promoting relevant issues across all stages of the value chain – from production to trading, grids and sales. What is more, Andreae is the central mouthpiece of the energy industry in the political arena. The extension of her contract at the helm of BDEW for another five years in March 2024 can be seen as an expression of appreciation.

In her own words, Kerstin Andreae says: “I have the honour of being the voice of our member companies in my role as head of the energy industry association. I am passionate about defending their interests and operate at the junction between business and politics. Strategic foresight is indispensable here, as we think in decades, not years. Climate protection, security of supply and affordability require a delicate balance, and the role of the industry in this context is vital. I am guided by an optimistic mindset that keeps me focused on our common goals.”

Vita Andreae:

Kerstin Andreae was born on 21 October 1968 in Schramberg in the Black Forest. She studied economics at the University of Freiburg and gained her first professional experience in project management and renewable energies. In 2002, she was elected to the Bundestag as a member of the Green Party. Among other things, she was the spokesperson for municipal and economic policy and deputy chair of the parliamentary group. Andreae has chaired BDEW since 2019. She is married with three children and lives with her family in Berlin.
 
The jury’s verdict:

Helmut Sendner, himself a jury member, believes that voting for Andreae is the logical choice: “Kerstin Andreae is not your traditional energy manager whose successes are measured in rising sales and profits, the construction of necessary gas-fired power plants or the use of new technologies for the energy transition. Instead she is a mediator for BDEW's 2,000 members, a pragmatic interlocutor in political discourse and public perception."

Prof. Christian Held, partner at the law firm Becker Büttner Held and member of the jury, states:
“Kerstin Andreae had already enjoyed a remarkable career in (energy) policy, and she has also proved to be extremely skilled at leading the most important association in the German energy sector. In doing so, she has consistently sought to reconcile her role in representing interests with the social concerns of energy supply. Her strategic vision and adeptness at balancing conflicting objectives may be needed now more than ever. Congratulations, Kerstin Andreae!”

Dr Christof Spangenberg, Managing Director of m3 management consulting GmbH and also a jury member, had the following to say about the award winner: “Kerstin Andreae blends vision with feasibility to craft an ambitious but realisable agenda and mediates with remarkable success between the goals and requirements of politics and the possibilities of the industrial sector. She ensures that everything doable happens and that realism and pragmatism are maintained, without losing sight of long-term goals. This makes her one of the most important industry voices in these times.”

The award:

The award, initiated by the Energie & Management media group and co-sponsored by the law firm Becker Büttner Held and the management consultancy m3 management consulting GmbH, is being presented for the 24th time this year. The winner is selected by a high-calibre jury of energy experts. The award will be presented to Kerstin Andreae at the evening event during the E&M Energy Manager Conference on 25 September in Berlin. The laudation will be delivered by Ingbert Liebing, Chief Executive Officer Association of Municipal Enterprises The conference will focus on the relationship between energy suppliers and industry. High-calibre speakers will share their thoughts on this topic. The conference is open to the public. For more information and registrations, visit: www.energiemanager- online.de.