Ayesha joined our Strategy and Development team at the start of the new year. We recently talked with her to ask what encouraged her to join RECCo and what her aspirations for the future are as she transitions to a new company after twenty years at Ofgem.
Hi Ayesha, welcome to RECCo! First of all, can you tell us a little about you?
Thank you, I’ve had such a warm welcome. I’ve had several catch-ups with colleagues since joining, giving me a great introduction.
I worked at Ofgem for the last 26 years in many different areas. Most recently, I led on stakeholder engagement in the energy code reform team. I really enjoyed sharing our thoughts, hearing from stakeholders and ensuring those views were considered in policy development.
What will you be responsible for at RECCo?
As part of the Strategy and Development team, I’ll be responsible for conducting research and analysis and engaging with stakeholders to identify emerging trends in the retail energy market and beyond. I will ask stakeholders questions about their key concerns and issues. I hope to be the ‘ears’ of the organisation, bringing those issues back and thinking about how we want to deal with them.
What attracted you to RECCo?
There were lots of things! I admired that the company had made a step change in improving governance for code management. Also, RECCo’s mission statement, especially in delivering consumer benefits, aligned well with me as it is my core motivation.
It’s great to work in a small company again (We were an organisation of about 60 people when I joined Ofgas, the predecessor to Ofgem). I look forward to getting to know everyone and to having a wide range of influence.
How do you hope your insights will shape the Retail Energy Code and RECCo’s programmes and services?
The energy industry is changing so fast. I’m hoping that, with my insights, we will have an earlier understanding of what is coming on the horizon to have more time to look critically at the issues and find the best solution.
We published our Strategy and Forward Work Plan this month, covering the next three years. What projects are you most eager to see progress on?
Code reform is a project that is close to my heart. I don’t anticipate significant changes for us, as Ofgem has acknowledged there are similarities between REC arrangements and code reform. Still, I do see us setting the landscape that others will follow.
