Meet Jonty Flottmann

Trading Analyst – Analytics, Trading and Supply

Jonty Flottmann is a national level Australian sprinter, PhD candidate, and is passionate about energy economics. Shell Energy has supported his career and passions outside of work, through flexible working options and a supportive and engaging team culture.

Tell us about your career path so far and your current role?

At university I started studying chemistry and quickly realised that I didn’t like being on my feet in the lab for six hours a day. So, I switched to the University of Queensland (UQ) and accidentally fell in love with energy economics. When I graduated from UQ, I moved to Griffith University and did an honours thesis in energy economics.

My first role at Shell Energy was in the Retail Pricing team for 16 months, learning all about retail energy and working with a really fun team. I already knew a fair bit about the broader energy market from a financing and portfolio perspective from my studies, and this role taught me all about innovative ways energy companies could help customers save money and be more sustainable, including load shedding.

While in this role, I had discussions about a graduate trading role at Shell. In my new role, I can build on the knowledge I’ve already developed, working across an even broader spectrum of business units. I’m really enjoying my time in the Trading team, especially as it has quite an analytical focus, which I revel in.

What is it like to work here? And how would you describe our culture?

It’s a really fun place to work, and the team culture is great. It is probably the most enjoyable workplace I’ve ever worked in.

Everyone I have worked with is outstanding. We went through some difficult times together with the changing landscape of the energy market, but I never felt like I was doing something difficult alone. There were always comrades, people supporting me, who helped make the best of a challenging situation. Working in the Shell Energy pricing team exceeded all my expectations.

What’s an achievement you’re proud of from the last 12 months?

Professionally, one of my proudest achievements was the extensive work I put in to successfully onboard a large, new customer in the mining industry. There was a lot of cross-collaboration between the Sales team, Pricing team and Trading team. We all worked together and put in a lot of effort in to achieve a positive outcome. It was very exciting to see all that hard work and commitment pay off.

On a more personal note, I travelled to Spain last year to compete in Spanish track and field competitions. I’ve been a national level Australian sprinter for many years, and I competed in the Oceania Championships for Australia in 2017. However, it has always been a dream of mine to go and compete in Europe. Shell Energy and my team were tremendously supportive, for which I am very appreciative.

What is your take on our approach to flexible working? How does it support you?

We receive five flex days a year in addition to our annual leave allowance. I use mine to go to the beach and turn it into a long weekend. Also, at the end of my athletic season, I can take a day off to recuperate after running and make sure I am reenergised to get back into work. You can space them out over a year and really make the most of them.

Our flexible working policy allows me to work from home when I need to. Personally, I love working in the office because of the culture here. However, flexible working allows me to train during the week. I often work one day a week from home if I have a longer training session. It makes it easier to start work on time and is much quicker to get home.

Any plans for further study?

I am now completing my PhD part-time, looking at the impact of renewables on trading and hedging strategies and aims to outline the delivery of modernised energy contracts to ensure the adequate supply of hedge contracts and help manage volatility in the market.

Any advice for someone looking to join our team?

I would tell anyone interested in working for Shell Energy that the opportunities are endless.

Our industry is growing so quickly that the opportunities seem almost limitless. Working for a well-regarded global company like Shell is almost the ideal place for anyone wanting to grow their career, there are opportunities galore. Some that you might not have even realised existed.

There is far more potential for cross-collaboration with our global colleagues than I think most people realise. Shell is operating in many different parts of the world. I’ve just spent two weeks learning about every aspect of the business that Trading touches, and Shell’s scope and reach are phenomenal.