“Don’t be too nice” – a piece of advice Silia received approaching her graduation. It was one of those comments that made her question herself. Can you be both kind and successful? She made a clear choice – stay authentic and build a great career her way.
Today, as a Senior Consultant at E.ON Inhouse Consulting, she proves every day that empathy and kindness are not contradictions, but strengths. In complex projects, she is known for her ability to build trust with stakeholders and motivate team members. Her approachable yet persuasive style quickly became one of her biggest assets – something both colleagues and partners value in her. Silia shares how she found her way in consulting, why taking time to genuinely connect with people matters to her, and how staying authentic has shaped her career. herCAREER interview with Silia Münter, Senior Consultant at E.ON Inhouse Consulting.
„Being kind helps foster strong relationships, which are essential for successful collaboration.“
herCAREER: How did you experience your start as a consultant? Which role did the advice not to be too nice play?
Silia Münter: Starting my journey as a consultant at E.ON Inhouse Consulting (ECON) was both welcoming and challenging. I was introduced to many talented, motivated colleagues who supported me and provided a great onboarding experience. However, transitioning from university to a full-time role was something I had to adjust to.
Previous to starting I was told not to be “too nice”. I was unsure how to live up to this and I questioned: what is wrong with being nice? Today, I realize that there is nothing wrong with it at all. In fact, being kind helps foster strong relationships, which are essential for successful collaboration.
What I have come to understand, though, is that being nice does not mean you have to agree with everything or avoid challenging ideas for the sake of maintaining harmony. You can be kind and still question the status quo, be a critical friend, and set clear boundaries by saying “no” when needed. For me, it is not an “either-or.” This has been an important learning experience and has contributed significantly to my personal growth. Still, I would never want to stop being nice, building strong relationships, and ultimately enjoying my work.
herCAREER: To what extent has your choice to stay authentic and favor empathetic exchange with others contributed to your great career?
Silia Münter: In consulting, it is essential to quickly adapt to new topics, new teams, and new project partners. I truly believe that building strong relationships from the start—sometimes through something as simple as an informal coffee chat—can have a big impact on the success of a project. When you take the time to get to know the person behind the role, you understand their perspective better, which leads to more effective collaboration.
Take a small example: if you know that your project partner picks up their kids at 2 PM, you will naturally avoid scheduling meetings at that time—and you might even have something to chat about during a 3 PM call. These small things create connection and trust.
In all my projects, I make a conscious effort to get to know the people I work with beyond just their roles. I listen to them, try to understand their needs and preferences, and aim to create an environment where we can enjoy working together. As a result, I have maintained strong relationships with many of my former project partners. One example is the quarterly catch-ups I still have with a group of female colleagues from a past project. Because of my passion for working with people and the awareness of my communication strengths, I am often staffed on projects where strong relationship management is key. These personal connections, the caring atmosphere, and the shared success of implementing projects at E.ON are what I enjoy most about my job.
One of the first pieces of career advice I received and now also want to share was to build a strong network and I could not agree more. It broadens your horizon, opens new doors, and, most importantly, it is a lot of fun.
herCAREER: Can you describe your internal networking activities in more detail, especially regarding women sourcing?
Silia Münter: Every ECON consultant is encouraged to engage in internal activities that shape the company and broaden their own horizons. Since I genuinely enjoy working with people and meeting new faces, I chose to actively contribute to our sourcing and alumni network activities.
Sourcing is all about attracting talented candidates to join our team. I strongly believe that increasing the number of women in consulting is essential to fostering diversity and driving innovation by bringing different perspectives into both the consulting and energy world. Together with my team, I help organize several events each year to connect with potential new colleagues. I particularly enjoy getting to know motivated women during our events with various backgrounds, diverse experiences and great ambitions. One of my personal highlights was an event we hosted in March in Milan, where we spent three inspiring days with 15 highly motivated women. We got to know each other, worked on energy-related case studies, and visited our Italian E.ON office. Seeing all our efforts pay off when we actually win new female colleagues is endlessly rewarding.
In addition to sourcing, I am also involved in our alumni network activities, where we organize events to reconnect with former ECON colleagues. These gatherings are a great opportunity to hear about their new career paths and keep the sense of community alive.
For me, these internal activities are a meaningful complement to my project work. They allow me to pursue my passion for connecting with people, while offering valuable learning experiences that go beyond the typical consulting day-to-day.
herCAREER: Would you also act as a mentor in the herCAREER community and, if so, which women would you like as mentees?
Silia Münter: I am happy to connect with women that are at the end of their studies and are wondering if going into the energy and/or consulting world is right for them or need any career tips when starting.
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About this person
Silia Münter is a Senior Consultant at E.ON Inhouse Consulting in Essen, Germany. Since joining as a Consultant in 2021 she advises E.ON’s German and international entities on topics such as process optimization, asset portfolio steering, large IT transformations, and strategic reorganizations. Besides her consulting job, she also leads internal initiatives including women sourcing and alumni network activities. Her work is shaped by analytical thinking, a clear and confident communication style, and a high degree of intercultural sensitivity, especially in fast-paced, collaborative environments.
Silia holds a master’s degree in International Business – Strategic Management & Consulting and a bachelor’s degree in International Tourism Management from CBS International Business School in Cologne, where she was awarded a scholarship and contributed to various CSR projects. During her studies, she gained practical experience in financial and management consulting, project management and event/trade fair organization for several years. Throughout these jobs, she was able to build strong customer-facing and problem-solving skills. Her international perspective was shaped through a semester abroad at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico and a year of work and travel across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
Silia completed her master’s thesis in collaboration with Stadtwerke Ratingen, focusing on new business models in the context of digitalization and sustainability in the utility sector. E.ON Inhouse Consulting then proved to be the ideal environment for Silia to combine her consulting experience from previous internships and studies with her growing expertise in the energy sector.
