Meet David Frøkjær
From graduate to full time employee
David Frøkjær started his career at Centrica Energy as a graduate in 2015, and now he takes on the position as Portfolio Manager. During his graduateship and full-time employment he has been in various departments – from Gas & Origination, Risk Management and Project Management – before he made an internal shift and took on this position as Portfolio Manager in the PPA business.
“I saw the graduate programme as a unique and attractive opportunity to kick-start my career, by working with different tasks in different business areas. It gave me a holistic understanding of Centrica Energy Trading, which established the strong foundation for me to continue my career in the organization.”
The motivation to apply
When David was introduced to the Graduate Programme, he was about to finalise his MSc in Economics & Management and wanted something different than a typical entry level position. The Graduate Programme at Centrica Energy, could give him three rotations in different departments and lots of experience in a very short time.
Motivated to apply, had added an edge to his profile and application by highlighting his great talent and interest in Poker, to refer to his way of thinking strategically, keeping an overview and his ability to take risks, bet and raise.
With a strong and original application, David got through the interviews, got selected and started his Graduate Programme in September 2015.
“This is a unique and exciting opportunity for you, that you don’t get for the rest of your career. Utilize this to develop rapidly and try yourself out and even – if it makes sense – take some chances”
David Frøkjær
Graduate 2015-2017, Portfolie Manager 2017-now
David’s Graduate Programme
Covering 3 rotations of 6 months each. Our current Graduate Programme now covers 3 rotations of 8 months.
1st rotation
Was in Gas & Origination. It was a steep learning curve within energy, origination and handling, and the rotation gave him an extensive knowledge about the gas markets, and set the foundation for his strong network, which to this day still provides value in his job.
2nd rotation
Was in Risk Management, where David strengthened the collaboration and created synergies within Risk Management and the Gas Desk through this knowledge, insights and stakeholder management skills he gained in his first rotation.
3rd rotation
Was in Project Management where he got to zoom out and have a broader perspective on the whole value chain and the implementation of new products. This contributed to an even broader and more holistic perspective on the business.
Career after the Graduate Programme
After finalizing the last rotation David was a courted talent with offers from different departments within Centrica Energy who wanted him to take on a full-time position. David chose Risk Management because of the professional and personal fit, where he took a valuable position as a risk management specialist.
After 3,5 years in Risk Management, David got the opportunity to develop even further as a Portfolio Manager, where he takes on the responsibility of pricing and hedging Power Purchase Agreements in the German market.
Biggest learnings during the Graduate Programme
For David it’s very clear that the special value you get from being a graduate, is the flexibility to make internal rotations which allows you to grow your potential and talent in different positions and departments.
“Centrica Energy is really open about the opportunities that you have, and even if I started in one position and department, the trust is really high for you to move on internally and thrive in another position. You are quickly acknowledged for doing great and both colleagues and managers recognize you for this.”