A Passion for Science

Alice’s interest in science was nurtured at school. After a degree in Chemistry and a Masters in Energy Policy, she completed a PhD and spent time in the Caribbean advising the Haiti Government on energy policies for COP21. She was named as the KPMG PowerHouse 2030 Young Energy Professional of the Year 2016 and Engineering Doctorate Researcher of the Year in 2017.

With over 12 years’ experience working across several roles within energy company SSE, today Alice leads the commercial energy team at Utility Warehouse and thrives on the ever-changing and fast-paced nature of the industry.

At school, Alice excelled in the classroom achieving top GCSE results, she won the Junior Art Prize in 2005, she was a School Prefect and in 2006 was awarded Full Colours for cross country. We were delighted to speak to Alice about her time at Bloxham and her passion for her career.

What are your fondest memories of School?

I loved the family atmosphere in Raymond. We were such a close-knit group of friends and had fun together. Coming back to House for breaktimes or prep was always something I looked forward to.

The South Africa & Namibia Sports Tour in 2006 was the most amazing experience. I was athletic and fit from my cross country running but I was never as strong in team sports (despite really enjoying them) so I was very grateful to be picked to take part. Going to South Africa and being hosted by a family, to immerse ourselves in the culture, meant we learnt far more compared to a normal holiday. It was unforgettable. It wasn’t just about the sport; we learnt so much about the culture and at the same time really bonded as a group.

 

What A levels did you study?

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in science, so I studied Physics, Chemistry, Maths and also Art, because I really enjoyed art!

I especially enjoyed Chemistry. Nigel Evans (Staff 00-19) was my teacher through most of my years at Bloxham and I think he had quite a big influence on why I went on to study the subject at university.

A Level Art gave me reflection time. I chose a science route, but I loved Art at Bloxham, especially in Sixth Form. The Sixth Form Art Studio provided you with your own little corner to go to whenever you wanted and just paint. I loved that time out and the change of pace from my other studies.

 

Did you have a clear idea of your career path?

Not really, no. I knew that I really liked the sciences – I was strong at them and enjoyed the subjects. I knew that choosing to read Chemistry at Bristol University would open lots of doors for me and it felt like a solid degree. At the end of my course, I knew that I didn’t want to work in a lab, but I wasn’t exactly sure what I did want to do with my degree. While I knew I was correct that a chemistry degree was a good degree to have and open those doors, it also wasn’t obvious what to do next. I had done my thesis on energy and atmospheric chemistry, so, mainly out of interest, I decided to further my studies and applied for an Energy Policy Masters at Exeter University. I hoped that this would lead to a career in the energy sector, which it did, and it was a wonderful time.

 

How have you got to where you are now?

After my Masters, I was recruited to do an internship at SSE. I moved to London, and this led to a job in the policy team. I was working in the corporate function at SSE, working on government policy and regulation, which was a good grounding for the energy sector. At this point, I decided to further my academic studies, and I was really fortunate to be sponsored by the company to do a PhD, alongside, and linked to, my job. This took four years and gave me so many skill sets which rounded off everything I had done to date. It’s what got me the job that I really had been aiming for – a commercial role within one of SSE’s business areas, and I have worked in a commercial role ever since.

Today I am Head of Commercial Optimisation at UW and I am responsible for setting pricing, energy market hedging, forecasting and managing all the risks that the energy market throws at you.

 

What do you love about your job?

Working in energy is fantastic and I thrive on the unpredictability of the industry. There are constant surprises: policy changes, regulatory changes and global influences that arise and you have to keep on top of.

 

How did your time at Bloxham prepare you for what you are doing today?

Bloxham gave me an amazing foundation to succeed. Bloxham offered so many opportunities, you just had to grab them, and I tried to make the most of everything at School.

I think that the school ethos of ‘giving something a go’ has stayed with me as it is what you have to do in life. Since leaving school, I have never been afraid to try new things and this has led to my diverse skill set, which has been so useful in my career.

 

What has been the most exciting moment of your career so far?

One memory springs to mind from relatively early on in my career during my PhD in 2015. I had the most incredible opportunity through the university’s links with the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) to get involved in COP21. For COP21 (the UN Climate Change Conference), every country had to submit their INDCs – these are the country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, essentially giving every country an international platform to present the actions they will take to address climate change. The island of Haiti needed help with theirs and so I acted as an advisor and modelling expert to the Haiti Government to support their INDC submission to COP21. It was a brilliant experience, being in the Caribbean, based in Grenada at the UNFCCC Caribbean collaboration centre working on the data analysis. It was quite last-minute, but I am so glad that I seized the opportunity.

 

What advice would you give to your past self when you were at Bloxham?

Make the most of all the opportunities: the clubs, the sports and the facilities and the teachers’ willingness to give their time to help you. Many other schools don’t have this and the opportunities that Bloxham offers will make you a more rounded person and will prepare you for the future.

 

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