A day in the life: Lisa Winstanley

My background

I grew up in Warwickshire. After completing my A-Levels in Stratford-upon-Avon, I chose to join the world of work to gain professional skills and (mainly!) to fund my travel adventures. Temping in between trips I took roles at Powerline and the MEB (Midlands Electricity Board) HQ in Halesowen. 3 days’ work turned into a full-time career in the energy sector.

Throughout my career I have worked across sales, account management, marketing, project delivery and consultancy.

Before the Energy Connection Services (ECS) and CEC merger in 2023 my role as Business Specialist saw me handling Marketing and Business Development for ECS, as well as running the Metering & Connections department for a business electricity supplier, a project that I continue to manage to this day.

As the Head of Marketing and Supplier Support, I have two ‘hats’ that I wear. My Supplier Support role involves managing the full end-to-end process for new connections, meter exchanges, upgrades and changes from initial enquiry through to installation, updates to industry systems and accurate billing for a business supplier.

Marketing is self-explanatory but covers the management of all external and internal comms. This includes web content, social media, our monthly newsletter, partner and association campaigns and publications. We provide support to our teams in preparing presentations, webinars, and co-branded material.

My biggest takeaway from my tenures in the energy procurement sector is that utilities are something that businesses need – rather than want. I believe that the way we guide our clients through their utilities journey can vastly improve the experience, turning the utility jungle into a walk in the park for their procurement, management, and carbon reduction needs.

Fun facts about me

• I love spending time with my family, pets and travelling.
• Proud mum of one to a daughter who is currently at drama school abroad (great excuse for some trips away!)
• Apart from the birth of my daughter, one of my proudest moments was taking part in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Paralympic Games. I was honoured to be able to accompany my father and the Oman Paralympic Team around the stadium (in traditional Omani dress!)
• I hate mint sauce, bureaucracy and most of all, traffic jams!

My role

Looking after marketing and supplier support, no two days are the same – which is how I like it to be honest!

A typical day in my role starts with reviewing the progress of each project to prioritise actions within the metering and connections department. This involves checking system updates, industry flows, liaison with internal supplier departments and also with meter operators, clients and TPIs. Customer satisfaction is my passion – so delivering first class service to the supplier and their clients is my daily mission.

Then, marketing hat firmly on – my activities across the day will vary depending on deadlines such as article submissions, publication dates and key events that our CRMs are attending. Drafting and proof-reading content takes a fair chunk of my day and getting the message of each piece of work right is an iterative process. I love the collaboration at CEC between our procurement & technical specialists and marketing to strike the right balance between valuable, up-to-the minute industry insights and ensuring our content is accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Whether we are talking about carbon reduction, flexible procurement, PPAs, or renewable energy projects, there is always something new and interesting to share.

Currently, I am working on our new brochure which covers all of our services that support clients through their entire energy journey, as well as overseeing the development of a brand-new website – watch this space!