Future energy leaders: HSE Graduate School of Business completes Management Training Program for Inter RAO Group
The program was developed jointly by HSE Graduate School of Business and the Corporate University of Inter RAO Group. It aimed to systematically prepare the talent pool for managerial positions of the next level, foster a continuous knowledge-sharing ecosystem within the Group, and develop critical competencies required for leadership in the energy sector.
Tatiana Son, Director of the Corporate University of Inter RAO, emphasized that collaboration with HSE GSB ensured both the high quality and relevance of the training content.
Tatiana Son
Director, Inter RAO Corporate University
“This unique program that we developed and delivered together is not just about improving management skills. It’s a strategic investment in our company’s future. It enables the development of systems thinking in future leaders — those who will be making key decisions in a rapidly changing environment.”
The program’s effectiveness is evidenced by strong participant feedback and concrete results. Currently, 9 projects are in active implementation, with an average payback period of 12 months. Half of the projects have already been scaled across other assets of the Group.
The training was conducted by leading practitioner-professors of HSE GSB. Executives from Inter RAO also contributed as part of the “Leaders Teaching Leaders” format. Among them were Dmitry Orlov, Member of the Board and Head of the Retail Business Center, and Sergey Kolodei, Head of the IT Center. They shared personal management experience, real business cases, and in-depth insights into today’s pressing challenges in the energy industry.
Participants were grouped into 10 project teams, each mentored by a senior executive from Inter RAO Group. The projects addressed current organizational challenges identified in collaboration with the Group’s top management.
A key element of personalized learning was the opportunity to choose a project methodology: teams could focus either on operational efficiency or delve into design thinking to develop breakthrough, innovative solutions. This flexible approach allowed the training process to align closely with both the specifics of business tasks and the individual needs of each team.
Natalia Shumkova
Deputy Director, Graduate School of Business
“Our cooperation with Inter RAO is an example of effective collaboration between academia and business. The program was tailored to the company’s real needs and focused on practical application of knowledge. Participants not only gain new skills but also learn to apply them to solve the Group’s strategic tasks, share experience, and pass on knowledge to their teams. This is the essence of the lifelong learning concept, which becomes a competitive advantage — both for individuals and for organizations as a whole.”
At the program’s conclusion, each team defended its project before an expert panel composed of Inter RAO senior executives, HSE GSB faculty, and alumni of the program’s first cohort, which concluded in December 2023. Following the defense, several solutions were recommended for further development and implementation across Inter RAO enterprises.
The “Inter RAO Leaders” program continues the company’s systemic effort to train future managers capable of effectively addressing both current and strategic business challenges.