Last Friday 8th March, also known as International Women’s Day, was a great opportunity to celebrate some of the leading ladies of our time, but also address some of the issues still facing those who identify as female within the energy industry and in wider society. We spoke to Ulrika Wising, Head of Solar and Battery Storage at Macquarie Group, about her experiences working in the energy industry, the things that helped motivate her, and her advice for future #WomenInEnergy.

Let’s start on a positive note – can you tell us what you love about your role/working in this industry?

The energy system needs to change in order to contribute to the decarbonisation of the world and it is very exciting to be part of that journey. It is also an industry that changes at an astonishing pace and as someone who embraces change, it is a very interesting place to be.

What kind of support have you found helpful in advancing your career?

Having senior people in the business sponsoring me has been critical to my career. Often these people have not been in my reporting line but rather people from other parts of the business that have been able to guide me and mentoring me on how to move forward.

Have you been involved in any initiatives for women working in the energy industry? Does your company run any? E.g. training or mentoring programmes.

I haven’t really been involved in any training or mentoring programmes specifically for women in the energy industry. I’m a member of a number of networking initiatives for women in the energy industry that I’ve found very useful.

Can you think of any female role models who were important in your career?

Unfortunately I haven’t had any female role models in my career in any of the companies I’ve worked in.

What do you think the energy community as a whole could do to go about moving to greater diversity?

Hire more senior women. Once there are senior women in an organisation, there are role models and other women think it’s possible and therefore strive to achieve the same

What would your advice be for the next generation of women entering the energy sector?

Seek out new opportunities, jump on them even if you don’t feel like you are meeting 100% of the criteria. Think about what you might be able to do in a new role instead of the criteria that might be more challenging.

Hear more from Ulrika in the All-Energy 2019 Conference – the programme for which will be available very soon.