Routine is always something I’ve had a love/hate relationship with. In many ways each day for me is very similar. I arrive around 7:15am – often later depending on the lottery that is Southern Rail’s timetable - and walk the corridor as one by one the lights switch on beckoning me to my desk. I make a coffee and write a list of things I need to get done that day. It’s at this point that the regularity stops; like many people across the business, no two days are the same for me. This is something I’ve grown to like and always something I’ve had in my different roles with Total.
At this point I guess I should say what it is that I do here. When describing my current role I give the two highlights as follows:
- Manage risk
- Increase profitability
Everything I do day-to-day could be broadly categorised into one of these two areas, and on a good day, both! But in practice what does that mean? Well, my job title is Head of Risk. So essentially, this puts me in charge of the well-known strategy board game. Other than that I have to analyse both the current and future risks that TGP are exposed to and ensure that these are mitigated as best we can.
Someone once told me that the mandarin symbol for risk also translates as opportunity. This summarises the balance I have to manage; we could avoid all risks going forwards, the downside is we wouldn’t have any customers!
Day to day I have a lot of interaction with various departments, mainly sales, procurement and finance. Over the last year or so I’ve noticed a tangible change in how we operate as a business. We’ve made big steps towards collaborating effectively across departments, which will hopefully continue. This brings problems with time management occasionally and if I don’t answer my phone I’m usually in a meeting and not ignoring your calls (most of the time).
What I like most about my role is the opportunity to come up with new ideas and to help shape the future strategy for TGP. In the current energy market environment it’s hard to find a niche and stay ahead of the pack. But hopefully the future holds a happy mixture of profit, growth, and a bit of fun along the way!
