Avtandil gained business and management consultancy experience in Scotland in the oil and gas sector. He holds a Master’s degree in Energy Management from Robert Gordon University as well as MBA and BBA degrees from the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.

Could you tell us a little about what inspired you to pursue a Master’s degree in Energy Management at RGU?

After graduating from my bachelor’s degree, I started my career at the Ministry of Energy of Georgia as a Chief Specialist in the Analytics Department. During my five years at the ministry, I had the chance to work with different public and private organisations including renewables, oil and gas, and utility businesses. Therefore, I decided I wanted academic knowledge in the energy industry along with my practical experience from the industry.

Was your course delivered online or on-campus and how did you find that experience?

The MSc Energy Management course was delivered on-campus during the 2016-2017 academic year. The most exciting part was the diversity of the course. Around 20 students from 12 different countries and 4 continents represented the programme. The course delivery on-campus was a great experience in terms of knowledge and experience sharing. It was an opportunity for personal and professional development.

How well do you feel that Aberdeen Business School prepared you for embarking on your career path?

Aberdeen Business School (ABS) became the perfect springboard for my career development. The one-year long industry-focused course put me on a higher level. Particularly, the Energy Consultancy project gave me a flavour for how global energy companies are conducting their operations across complex supply chains. ABS prepared me to join the world’s leading consultancy company and equipped me with skills to make an impact on Georgia’s economic and energy policy development.

What experience or knowledge gained during your career supported your move into Research and Innovations at Deloitte?

After graduating from the MSc Energy Management at RGU, I joined the Scottish energy consultancy M&P Oil and Gas Solutions for a short period to gain experience from a UK based company. After I arrived in Georgia, I joined the Deloitte team as an energy specialist to help the government of Georgia in designing a new electricity market model. I led the innovative project to develop blockchain based proof-of-concept (POC) solutions for the clearing and settlement of the day-ahead power market. The successful implementation of the project became the pre-requisite for me to become the Research and Innovations Advisor at Deloitte for the USAID Economic Governance Program.

What has been your most memorable achievement in your career so far?

There have been several memorable achievements throughout my career, however, I could highlight a couple of milestones. First, I would like to mention that theoretical and practical experience from RGU enabled me to become part of the Deloitte team and be engaged in different USAID funded programs. Through these programmes, I made a significant contribution to the development of Georgia’s new electricity market model. Another great achievement I could capitalise my career on is related to the development of the pre-feasibility study of the subsea transmission cable project connecting Georgia’s electricity system to the European one. While being a Senior Energy Advisor at Gross Energy Group, I had a chance to work on this great project that can be referred to as historical change for Georgia’s energy sector. It was a great privilege for me when I was appointed mentor to two RGU students. Both students were conducting consultancy projects on Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) of this subsea cable project for their MBA and MSc Energy Management programs. It was an honourable moment for me to become the consultancy project mentor of RGU’s Master’s programmes.