Meet Grace Suluvale

Service Desk Analyst

We pride ourselves on our leading customer satisfaction, but we also take pride in how we support each other at work. Recent winner of our internal team awards program, Grace, talks to us about how it felt to be recognised for outstanding service, her unique career path from cybersecurity cadet to full time analyst and why she’s excited to make a difference for our energy future.

Tell us about your career path at Shell Energy so far?

My career genuinely started at Shell Energy. I began a cybersecurity cadetship administered by MEGT, designed to help women get into the IT industry, or return to it after an extended period of leave.

The idea was that each cadet would be placed with a host employer for three months, working four days a week at the company. The fifth day would be spent studying cybersecurity and Microsoft micro-credentials in a virtual classroom. There were roughly 15 cadets across Australia, and I was lucky enough to be one of the four selected to work with Shell Energy. I was initially hesitant about the opportunity, as there were intriguing positions being offered in the defence force sectors and at major airlines. However, my interview was quite outstanding and impressed me so much that I thought, “I definitely need to work here”.

After the cadetship ended, I was given the opportunity to continue working at Shell Energy as a Service Desk Analyst until the end of the year, which I gratefully accepted. With the support of the IT Operations team, I am pleased to say I did well in my role and I was offered a permanent position in January of this year. I am ecstatic with my career path right now and wish to keep working hard to continue moving forwards. My goal is to be CIO by the time I turn 27, and I have no intention of failing.

What is it like to work here at Shell Energy and how would you describe our culture?

Everyone I work with strives to make the world a better place in their role, whether that is through digital technology solutions, customer pricing, or ensuring our people have everything they need to succeed. We truly believe in the goals of net zero, and it is amazing to feel like you are part of the solution.

What is an achievement you are proud of from the last 12 months?

My proudest achievement from the last 12 months was securing a permanent position here at Shell Energy. This is my first real job, and it feels like a dream come true. I worked hard to earn a place here, knowing full well I would be competing with people who had years of experience or a qualification of some kind. I am very grateful for the opportunity, but I am also very proud that I made it.

Congratulations on being recognised through our internal team awards program! What did it feel like to be nominated by your colleagues and selected?

Winning the award was surreal and something I never expected would actually happen; it still feels like a fever dream. I feel famous anytime someone comes up to me to congratulate me. I definitely have the mindset that it takes a village to raise a child, and I would not have succeeded as far as I have without the support I have received from everyone. It has motivated me to continue to work hard and support everyone through their IT challenges and try my best to solve them.

What excites you about the future of energy?

I’m excited to see our progress. When you can’t see the difference you are making, you start doubting your direction and how far you’ve actually come. Shell Energy is taking leaps and bounds in many ways through investing in a range of different energy projects. It will be rewarding to see what we can achieve and the fruits of our labour.

What advice would you give someone looking to join our team at Shell Energy?

As someone who is autistic and has never had a full time job, I can say that the environment and support I have received at Shell Energy speaks for itself. There is a sentiment internally that people don’t want to leave the business, and I definitely plan to stay with Shell Energy for as long as I can.