Meet the team:

At e*star, every department plays its role in our mission to deliver innovative solutions for commodity trading, and the software engineering team is the heart of bringing our innovation to life.

Today we’d like to introduce you to the man leading this department - a guy who wears many hats here at our company, and who also happens to climb many walls. Nico Fritschi is not only a director at e*star, who is passionate about project management, software development and consulting - he also happens to be quite proficient at bouldering. 

We caught up with Nico to learn more about how his department operates and what makes it stand out.

What’s your role at e*star?

Nico: I’m responsible for software engineering, which means I coordinate a lot of moving parts. My role involves bringing together developers, QA, business analysts, and infrastructure teams, along with our stakeholders, to make sure projects are completed efficiently and effectively. Beyond managing the day-to-day, I focus on improving our processes and coaching the team to ensure everyone is set up for success. My goal is to make things run smoothly across the board, so our department is always in sync with the rest of the company.

What does your department focus on?

Our department is all about building solutions that meet the specific needs of our clients. It’s not just about delivering software - it’s about really understanding what our clients actually need to make their trading operations more efficient and profitable. To do that, we work closely with our consultants, who bring in-depth industry knowledge to the table. Together, we take a flexible and responsive approach, ensuring that our solutions don’t just address immediate problems but also align with long-term goals. This consulting-driven approach is a key differentiator for e*star compared to other software vendors.

What projects are you currently working on?

Right now, we’re working on connectivity with trading venues. It’s a vital piece of the puzzle for our clients because trading is always evolving. Our job is to ensure their systems can integrate with the markets and processes they rely on. These are technically demanding projects that require close collaboration between teams, but it’s exactly the kind of work our department excels at.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

What I really enjoy is seeing how much impact our department can have. At e*star, we’re not boxed into rigid roles like you might find at a larger company. We have the freedom to take on a wide range of responsibilities and directly influence the success of our and our clients projects. For our department, that means we can shape how solutions are built and delivered, ensuring they genuinely help our clients succeed in a complex and competitive industry.

Any thoughts about where your department is headed?

The future is definitely going to bring more regulations, and while that adds complexity to our work, it’s also exactly our expertise that will be highly sought after. As energy trading continues to grow, our department will play an even bigger role in helping clients deal with these changes. We’re positioned to adapt quickly and provide the innovative solutions our clients will need. As I like to say, “As long as humans exist, there will always be a need for undertakers - and energy.”

And when you’re not at work, what keeps you busy?

I spend a lot of my free time bouldering, which is a great mix of strategy and persistence. Interestingly, it ties back to the work we do - figuring out the right techniques, taking feedback, and solving problems are just as important on the climbing wall as they are in energy trading.

Determination and problem-solving skills are very important when you are dangling from a climbing wall, so we are happy that Nico brings the same qualities to the workplace every day. 

Thank you for the interview, Nico! We’re grateful to have you onboard and are excited to see how you continue to shape our future here at e-star.