Phoebe Macintosh, Shell Energy’s Manager for Commercial and Industrial Operations, shares how she got her start in the energy industry, the keys to her success at Shell Energy, and how she thrives in a high-energy, dynamic industry that delivers services that businesses rely on.
My role
I manage the world’s best operations team! We look after all the billing, transfers and ongoing back-office needs of our commercial and industrial electricity customers. While my team handles the processing of transactions and queries, I ensure our systems and processes stay up-to-date with the complex Australian regulatory landscape. My team also manages the Network Tariff Optimisation program which is exciting and rewarding to be able to offer genuine savings to customers as a complimentary service.
I came back from overseas in 2012 and met an amazing recruiter who encouraged me to apply for the role here, based on the company’s values and opportunity for growth. I initially spent four months supporting the Power Station Operations team. I then moved into our B2B Retail team as an Operations Analyst, and the rest is history.
I’ve had the opportunity to grow my career quite organically within Shell Energy. Having supportive leaders, paired with a company that focuses on learning and development, is the perfect environment for career growth.
I first became a people leader in 2017 and quickly understood the challenges of leading a team that had undergone some disruption and change. What excites me is realising the impact you can have on the vibe of your team by your purposeful demeanour and leading by example.
We work in a high-energy and dynamic environment and try to keep our processes and offerings simple, which helps us act quickly to support our customers’ evolving needs.
The best thing about working at Shell Energy is the reputation we maintain in the market. Knowing that we have industry-leading customer satisfaction motivates me to make decisions with customer experience top of mind. The feedback we receive from customers and counter parties about our service makes it all worth it.
I keep myself very busy outside of work and the increased flexibility at Shell Energy has allowed me to continue doing all the things I love without burning out. Since embracing flexible working, I’ve experienced an increase in happiness and wellness.
It all comes down to building relationships. There are so many diverse skills and experiences across the organisation. As the years go on, I realise how connected all the components of our business are. For example, I’ve relied on the engineers in our metering business to help me decipher and explain highly complex billing queries. The secret is getting to know people, their skills and backgrounds and then not being afraid to go to them when required.
I’m excited about the future of our earth and understanding the changes the energy market needs to make. Seeing the transition to clean energy solutions, sooner rather than later, excites me.
If you’re considering a career with Shell Energy, know that it’s a workplace that puts value in diversity and enables emerging female leaders to grow their careers.
