Yasmin Pajouhafsar wasn’t new to consulting when she joined capSpire’s Houston team in 2023, but ETRM was a shift from her previous role focused on US sales and use taxes. “I wanted to make a pivot,” she says. After browsing her college’s career website, she found capSpire. “I knew nothing about the ETRM space. It was exciting to learn something new.”
Yasmin joined a program, now called Ignite Pro, a fast-tracked capSpire program aimed at professionals with career experience interested in energy and commodity industries and the software solutions that power them. She began with general ETRM training, gaining a deep understanding of the space, its intricacies, challenges, and opportunities. Next, she embarked on practical, intensive training in ION’s Openlink Commodities platform. And while Yasmin began her software focus in Openlink Commodities, she eventually became an expert in their Allegro C/ETRM platform too.
Yasmin is a Functional Consultant, working in lockstep with her clients every day, understanding their problems and helping them achieve effective solutions. “This is why I wanted to stay in consulting,” she says. “I enjoy the face-to-face.”
However, it’s not just helping and interacting with clients that Yasmin loves about her job. “I’m a helper in the Houston office,” she proudly states, embracing her bonus role as a social and engagement ambassador to her Houston co-workers. Yasmin embodies capSpire’s core value of Support and Respect and always raises her hand to get involved in activities outside of her functional consulting duties. When there was a big office move, Yasmin rolled up her sleeves to help get it done. When colleagues visit the Houston office from around the world, she makes sure their computers are set up and that they feel welcomed from the moment they step through the doors. You’ll often find Yasmin coordinating the team lunch order from new restaurants or playing pool with her colleagues, something the Houston office has become passionate about in the past year. “I look forward to going into the office. It’s fun. The people are really what make capSpire a great place to work.”
Another reason Yasmin finds capSpire a great place to work is due to the Trust and Autonomy granted to every employee. “I am completely trusted. I was hired for a reason and get to do my own work,” she says. In past experiences, Yasmin has found micromanagement to be an issue– but not at capSpire. “I really appreciate that there is autonomy and trust to get my work done, and have a good relationship with my clients,” Yasmin says. This culture of independence, embedded in a supportive, collaborative environment, helps consultants like Yasmin achieve the most value for their clients by thinking outside of the box and challenging conventional ways of doing things. “I’m here to make things more efficient,” she says. “In the end, my clients always appreciate that.”
For the seventh consecutive year, employees like Yasmin have rated capSpire as a Great Place to Work, an achievement highlighting capSpire’s ongoing commitment to a supportive and empowering workplace. To learn more capSpire culture, click here.
