Introduction
Shaping the change together: RWE and caralegal
Headquartered in Essen, RWE is a global leader in energy, actively investing in renewable energy and storage technologies across Europe, the US, Asia, and Australia. As RWE works to further its commitment to sustainability and innovation, it has also partnered with caralegal since 2023 to streamline its compliance with data protection requirements worldwide.
In 2009, Jörg Wohlfahrt joined RWE as an IT consultant and later took on various roles within the company. Today, as a Data Protection Officer for the Renewables sector and GDPR compliance for multiple RWE entities, he is dedicated to managing RWE’s international data protection challenges.
Alongside him, Markus Frowein, Global Head of Data Protection & AI Regulation, ensures data protection across RWE’s global operations. Together, they share insights into how caralegal has transformed RWE’s data protection management.
Challenge
The goal: More clarity for RWE in International data protection
Operating worldwide means RWE must comply with various data protection regulations, each with unique requirements.
Simplifying compliance across multiple jurisdictions was paramount. RWE sought a centralized solution that was intuitive and covered all aspects of a data protection management system, without overwhelming users, as Jörg Wohlfahrt explains:
“With caralegal, we can assign specific legal frameworks to individual countries and manage these effectively. It keeps the information relevant for each Data Protection Officer, avoiding data overload,” Wohlfahrt explains.
Solution
An intuitive, user-friendly data privacy solution
RWE's data protection team evaluated multiple options before choosing caralegal. The decision centered around caralegal’s ability to centralize and simplify data management, providing an easily accessible platform that supports the compliance needs of all stakeholders. As Wohlfahrt notes:
“With caralegal, our employees can provide the needed information efficiently. caralegal unifies processes and provides a central system where we, as Data Protection Officers, have everything at our fingertips. This has made communication and collaboration much easier.”
Jörg Wohlfahrt
Data Protection Officer at RWE
For RWE, the user-friendly, centralized management system is a significant advantage – physical distance is no longer a limiting factor. Everyone works together within the same system, regardless of location.
Markus Frowein sees the most significant advantages primarily in three areas:
Record of processing activities
Data Protection Officers work closely with colleagues on documentation, ensuring GDPR compliance.
Centralized data protection documentation
caralegal consolidates all compliance documentation in one place, enabling quick access and analysis.
Centralized data entry management
caralegal tracks data entries related to customer and subject rights, breaches, and more, streamlining the workflow.
Outlook
caralegal and RWE: A trusted partnership for privacy
RWE's transformation is currently unfolding on multiple levels, with a strong focus on shifting to renewable energy generation. This shift also means a more globalized business approach, which introduces new data protection challenges that need to be addressed. RWE’s formerly centralized data protection department has now expanded into an international team, enabling localized data governance and consideration of regional regulations.
To tackle these challenges, RWE not only needs to expand its team but also adopt the right technology. The ability to interconnect and collaborate with regional teams is a high priority in RWE’s corporate strategy. Thus, deploying a data protection management platform that supports this collaboration is essential.
Jörg Wohlfahrt emphasizes the importance of making data protection straightforward and accessible: “It should be easy for all departments to engage with data protection. This requires solid systems, effective processes, clear communication, and the right software to make compliance as seamless as possible.” Markus Frowein adds, “That’s one of the major benefits of caralegal—with its intuitive UI and ease of use.”
caralegal delivers greater clarity through customized dashboards, access rights, and a straightforward approach to managing international regulations, which has led to more efficient processes, as Markus Frowein points out:
“Feedback from both our internal clients and colleagues in the data protection team has been overwhelmingly positive. The tool’s efficiency and user interface are highly praised.”
Markus Frowein
Global Head of Data Protection & AI Regulation at RWE
RWE’s data protection experts also speak of genuine “wow” moments when using caralegal. Jörg Wohlfahrt recalls noticing a missing filter for countries, which he reported, and caralegal responded quickly to implement it. The fast reaction and execution time left a strong impression on him.
Despite this satisfaction, data protection management is never static. RWE and caralegal aim to continually improve the software through close collaboration. By sharing practical insights from daily use, RWE’s data protection leaders contribute directly to the platform’s evolution. As Wohlfahrt explains,
We’ve already discussed and prioritized enhancement ideas with caralegal to tackle next. These suggestions not only benefit us but also help advance the software as a whole. We’re all working toward the same goals.”
The partnership between RWE and caralegal showcases how international corporations can effectively manage data protection with user-friendly software. The technology-driven collaboration supports international compliance while adapting to regional specifics. RWE’s efforts exemplify a commitment to sustainable transformation, with digital data protection as a key component.
