Spotlight On…

Congratulations on the new job! Perhaps you could tell us a little about your career prior to joining Phillips 66 Limited.

I’ve worked in the fuel industry for just over eight years – starting with a temp position at World Fuels, which ultimately became a full-time role. I then joined Mabanaft UK, progressing to the role of Key Account Manager. Prior to my career in the fuel world, I worked in recruitment.

What attracted you to your new role at Phillips 66 Limited, and what was the process like?

I actually found out about the role while casually looking at LinkedIn. Phillips 66 Limited is a very well-regarded company with a great reputation, so I knew about the company.

The interview was a two-stage process. It was really thorough, which I appreciated. At each interview, I met a different group of people – so I felt I had a really good sense of the business and, perhaps more importantly, the culture. After eight years working in the industry, you get to know who the good companies are – and I would regard Phillips 66 Limited as one of the best. And when people come here, they tend to stay – that tells you a lot. There are also great opportunities for career development.

You are six weeks in – how has it been and is it what you expected?

So far, so good! The role I’m doing is quite similar to my previous job, as a lot of the customers are the same, so there’s a fair bit of continuity. As well as ‘meeting and greeting,’ this time has mainly been about learning new systems and generally absorbing as much as possible. The orientation process is well-structured, and I’ve definitely felt supported in getting up to speed with the role. I think I had high expectations, and it has definitely met and exceeded them.

Give us a bit more detail about your role.

It’s a customer focused role – keeping them happy and the relationships strong. My customers are predominantly resellers based north of the Tees and Scotland. I have about 30 accounts – so plenty to keep me busy! Phillips 66 has a reputation for nurturing and maintaining good relationships. It’s a thread that runs between all aspects of the business. Add in reliability, service and quality products, and it’s a pretty compelling offer.

What do you see as your primary challenges?

This year is going to be an interesting one for Scotland because Grangemouth Refinery is closing and becoming an import terminal. There is the potential for some disruption, which we need to manage, and understandably some of our customers have concerns.