By Lucas De Vivo
- The international consulting network Cordence Worldwide held a competition for insights and papers related to the energy transition and digital transformation.
- Maria Luz Valle, a senior consultant at EloGroup, was one of the finalists and won the competition among 42 participants.
- Luz received a trip to Seoul to present her work at the Energy Transition Summit and to take part in the second Executive Meeting of the year.
Energy transition is one of the most discussed topics today when it comes to the corporate world and a more sustainable future. It is no coincidence that this was the theme chosen by Cordence Worldwide to guide the Insight Initiative competition, which involved all member consultancies of the international network.
The Insight Initiative is a recurring competition promoted by Cordence Worldwide that puts to the test the skills of the YPN (Young Professionals Network) — composed of consultants below management level and with less than five years of experience in the field.
In this edition, participants were asked to submit a blog post written in English, two to three pages long, on one of the suggested topics, all related to energy transition. In a second stage, they were required to deliver a detailed position paper on the same subject, with a deeper and more rigorous analysis of the topic initially chosen.
The two winners would be awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to Seoul to attend the Energy Transition Summit and the second Executive Meeting of the year, held on October 22–23.
The first Meeting of 2025 took place in May, in Rio de Janeiro, and you can find more details about the event in this insight.
A total of 42 articles were submitted, and after a rigorous selection process conducted by a panel of experts, Maria Luz Valle, Senior Consultant at EloGroup, was chosen as one of the winners among the three finalists with her project titled “Born Digital: Designing Future-Proof Operations for Energy Transition,” which you can download in full at the end of this article.
We interviewed Luz to learn more about her journey in developing the material, the challenges of balancing the competition with her daily work, and her expectations for the trip and the opportunity to take part in such a significant event.
EloGroup: What can you tell us about the theme of your project?
Luz: Producing and consuming energy today accounts for three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions. This reality is driving the market to change the landscape through new business models such as biomethane, green hydrogen, and natural gas — which, in Brazil, is considered the gas of the energy transition. Building these business models, capable of addressing new consumption patterns and complex infrastructure, requires the strategic use of technology.
Resilient businesses need to make data-driven decisions and rely on integrated systems to support consumption flexibility, governance, and efficient processes. One of the key messages is that the energy transition is also a digital transition — technology is the fuel powering these companies.
Defining a business vision must go hand in hand with defining a technology vision. The problem arises when companies design their strategy without considering how it translates into systems and architecture. That’s where the concept of Born Digital — part of the article’s title — comes in: the alignment between technology and strategy from day one.
This strategy takes shape in the anatomy of a digital company, composed of four layers: digital infrastructure, business systems, data and automation, and artificial intelligence — all acting as accelerators of operations.
A key differentiator is the ability to visualize what is possible in terms of digital solutions (such as AI and automation) and to structure the development of this anatomy across different time horizons. Not everything needs to be ready from day one. The roadmap must be feasible and maintain a delivery rhythm that balances value creation with the company’s current stage.
EloGroup: Going back to the beginning, what made you want to develop this project and take part in the Cordence competition?
Luz: Beyond the fact that I love writing, what truly motivated and excited me was the opportunity to explore two topics I consider essential: the energy transition and digital transformation.
Today, the energy sector is at the heart of many global discussions around decarbonization, and this initiative created space not only for theoretical research but also for developing a project that demonstrates how the market can start preparing for the future right now.
My main goal, in the end, was to show in a concrete way how technology and artificial intelligence can be applied to new business models that are emerging to sustain this energy transition.
EloGroup: How did you prepare and adjust your routine for this project? Did you need to dive deeper into research and studies?
Luz: To achieve the outcome of this project, I would say three things were essential throughout the process: planning, routine, and discipline. I treated the development of this material as a separate project, setting aside dedicated time in my day to focus specifically on it — usually during my “third shift.” I committed a fixed block of hours with clearly defined daily goals.
My first step was to understand exactly what my objective with this article was. What were my hypotheses about the topic? What questions needed to be answered to validate or invalidate those hypotheses? I used that clarity as my guiding map for the entire process. Everything I read, researched, and wrote was connected to the questions that stemmed directly from the article’s central goal.
With that structure in place, I had a clear view of where I wanted to go. My daily routine alternated between reading, writing, and revising. I worked through many versions — version 1 was far from ideal, but reaching it allowed me to gain a faster, broader perspective of the whole. What really makes the difference is not stopping: moving forward a little each day, balancing creativity with discipline.
And finally, one last thing I must mention is that this journey was supported by people who helped me immensely. From the beginning, I mapped out who could contribute in different ways — whether by adding knowledge or giving feedback.
This network was crucial for learning, building confidence, and ensuring the final delivery came together the way it did.
EloGroup: Your project was one of the winners of Cordence’s Insight Initiative, which gave you the opportunity to travel to Seoul. What are your expectations for the trip and for the outcomes this study may bring?
Luz: I still find myself processing the fact that I was able to present this paper in Seoul and discuss such a relevant topic as the energy transition. My project didn’t end there — on the contrary, it’s only just beginning.
My main expectation for this trip was centered on exchange: having the opportunity to hear different perspectives and learn from what other countries and Cordence Worldwide consultancies are doing. It was a chance to enrich the study even further.
One of the hypotheses confirmed by the paper is how far most companies still are from reaching their full digital potential. One of the studies I explored, focused on the energy sector, shows that one-quarter of organizations are unable to advance AI-driven initiatives due to a lack of internal expertise.
When cross-referencing this with other reports, it becomes clear that the issue is not just about knowledge — there’s also a gap in digital infrastructure and data governance. Those are precisely what enable predictive maintenance analytics or intelligent stock and supply management, for example.
I want to keep contributing to help businesses achieve greater digital maturity. In short, it’s about continuing to learn, exchange ideas, and take on the responsibility of pushing this debate forward in a practical and consistent way — ensuring that the digital and energy transitions truly reinforce one another.
EloGroup: Tell us a bit about yourself, Luz. How did you get here? What has your career journey been like up to the development of this project?
Luz: I’m from Recife, Pernambuco, and I’ve been living in São Paulo for almost a year now. To introduce myself and share how I got here — and what led me to develop this project — I like to look at it through two important lenses.
The first one is my life outside of work. I grew up in an environment very different from the corporate world: my father is a visual artist, my mother studied performing arts, my stepfather is an educator, and my sister is a filmmaker. Growing up in that setting made me develop a deep love for reading and writing, and it sparked a strong creative and exploratory side in me from an early age.
As for my professional path, I usually say that my first school was the empresa júnior movement. Completely outside the artistic world, I spent three years discovering my passion for solving problems, getting hands-on, and making things happen. After that journey, I found myself at EloGroup, where I’ve been for almost four years now — and which I consider my second great school.
It was here that I began working on digital transformation projects, and more specifically, in recent years, within the energy sector. It was also where I started to shape this commitment to connecting technological and analytical solutions with strategy.
In the end, I think my personal and professional backgrounds came together beautifully and shaped who I am today. I’m absolutely passionate about exploring and solving problems, using imagination and creativity to design concrete solutions. That’s what drives me — in life and at work, which, to me, are deeply intertwined.
Below you can find the link to download the full article written by Luz, winner of the Cordence Insight Initiative:
LUCAS DE VIVO is Writer on EloInsights
MARIA LUZ VALLE is Senior Consultant at EloGroup
