Women of Volue: introducing Anamaria Toebe

Anamaria's path into energy began with theoretical mathematics and a plan to become a teacher. It took her through a PhD in Germany, into consulting and market analysis, and eventually to product management. Here she shares how she got to where she is today, the mentor who shaped how she leads, and why energy turned out to be the field where the mathematics she had learned finally met the real world.

A Mathematician Who Didn't Set Out to Work in Energy

I studied mathematics in Romania, which is where I'm from, and for a long time my dream was to become a teacher. Like a lot of things in life, it didn't work out, and I'm still not entirely sure whether that was lucky or not!

During my master's I won a scholarship that brought me to Germany for a semester, and that's where I met my future PhD supervisor. When he suggested I come back to do a doctorate, I hesitated because I wasn't sure it was what I really wanted to do. But then he started describing the topics his team was working on, and something clicked. They were doing applied mathematics, which was completely new to me, and he pointed me towards energy. He simply said that energy was becoming so interesting and advised me to read into it and see if I found something that resonated for me.

I did, and I landed on electricity prices. I found it fascinating, and I ended up writing my PhD thesis in Heidelberg on forecasting and pricing. Everything since has followed from that.

Learning to Swim

I was the only person on the team working with energy. That was challenging, but I think it's what made me stronger. I carry something my supervisor once told me into how I work to this day. He said that I'll let you out into the ocean on your own, and you'll swim. If I see you're close to drowning, I'll help you. Otherwise, you're free to find your own way.

At the time it felt terrifying. Looking back, I think it's one of the most powerful things you can do for someone: trust that they'll find their way, give them the room to do it, and make sure they know you have their back if things go badly wrong. It went well, as it turned out. But the trust was what mattered.

From Research to the Real World

By the end of my PhD, I already knew that a career in research wasn't where I wanted to stay. Around the same time, I fell in love, and that played a major role in my decision to remain in Germany. I was keen to return to industry, and my first role after university was with an energy consulting company in Berlin. Then I came across an analyst role at a company which is now part of Volue. It was close to what I'd done in my research, and it pulled me back towards the thing I'd enjoyed in the first place: applying mathematics to real data, in real market conditions.

Why Energy

For me, the appeal of energy comes from two things. There's the purpose behind it, because the industry is working towards a more sustainable future, and that matters. And there's the data. Energy is where data science meets something very physical and very real: markets, consumption, demand and the grid itself. That combination is what keeps it interesting.

On Inclusion and a Team That Thinks Differently

All my experiences taught me early how much it matters to have different kinds of people in the room. The best work I've been part of has come from teams where people bring genuinely different backgrounds, disciplines and ways of thinking, and where everyone is trusted to contribute, ask the so-called basic questions, and challenge each other without hesitation.

In a sector as complex as energy that breadth isn't optional. The decisions made here affect markets and communities at scale, and you make better decisions when a wider range of perspectives have shaped them. Women bring enormous talent to this industry, and the more visible and supported they are, the stronger the whole field becomes. For me, it isn't a box to tick; it's how you end up with better products and better decision making. And it's why I try to lead the way my supervisor once did: trust people to find their own way and be there if they need you.

Considering a Career in Energy?

Energy is one of the more interesting fields you can work in right now. The problems aren't simple and the answers aren't obvious, which, if you enjoy getting into the detail, is precisely the point. My own path wasn't a straight line: theoretical mathematics, a PhD I almost didn't do and a detour through consulting. But I have built a career for myself that I am very proud of.

So if you're weighing up a role in energy, whether you're just starting out or thinking about a change, my advice is to lean into the complexity and the range of opportunities the sector provides, rather than let it put you off. That's the part that makes the work worthwhile.

Explore our career opportunities: https://www.volue.com/careers