Maria Shipitsyna graduated with honors the Ural State University in 2001 named after A.M. Gorky (at present - the Ural Federal University named after the First President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin) with a degree in International Relations.

She began her professional career in 2002 in the Administration of the Kirovsky District of Yekaterinburg city as a chief specialist in the external relations sector.

From 2002 to 2014, she held the position of General Director of the International Association "PromoItalia", developing trade, economic, social and humanitarian cooperation between the Sverdlovsk region and certain regions of Italy within the framework of interregional friendship and partnership agreements.

She has been working at EL5-Energo (previously Enel Russia) since January 2014, where she started her career as an external relations manager. Concurrently, she served as Assistant to the Honorary Consul of Italy in the Urals Consular District.

In November 2014, she moved to the sustainable development team to the position of a leading specialist, in 2016 she became a senior manager, and in 2020 - Head of Sustainability of EL5-Energo.

Maria's contribution to the development of the energy sector and sustainable development was recognized by gratitude letters from the General Director of the Association of the All-Russian Industry Association of Employers in the Electric Power Industry "ERA of Russia" and the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region.