A day in the life of…Amy Lees – Product Specialist, EMEA

A day in the life of…Amy Lees – Product Specialist, EMEA

Ever wondered what a day in the life looks like at Vortexa for a Product Specialist? We sat down with Amy Lees to dig deeper into what energises her most about working at Vortexa, how she would describe her role and who she collaborates with most in the company?

26 February, 2021
Jessica Irvin
Jessica Irvin, Head of Operations & People

Amy is a Product Specialist in the London team looking after customer success within EMEA. Prior to joining Vortexa, Amy worked at BP on their Trader Development Program, with rotations in Crude Oil Derivatives and Middle Distillate Barge Operations. She also interned at Gazprom Marketing and Trading on the Retail Gas desk.

Amy loves live music and thinks that’s one of the best things about living in London – her first concert was Kylie Minogue when she was 11. Heading to a gig is the first thing Amy wants to do in a post-pandemic world!


What does day-to-day life in your role look like?

My days often involve meetings with clients, either giving a demo of the platform to potential or trial clients, onboarding new customers or checking in with existing users for their feedback. A portion of my time is focused on preparing for these meetings, setting up use cases for the platform and making sure I am up to date with news in the energy world. There are also meetings with colleagues to ensure we are working together to keep clients interested and to discuss any project work!

What would you say is the most interesting aspect of your role?

I love keeping up with the latest developments and trends in the energy markets and getting the opportunity to speak with the traders embedded in the market to hear their views.

What was your path to joining Vortexa?

My first experience with the energy markets was an internship at Gazprom Marketing and Trading, I found the industry to be fast-moving and exciting. I then got a place on the BP Trader Development Program and worked on the Crude Oil Derivatives and on the Middle Distillates desk as a Barge Operator. After deciding I wanted a more client facing role I found the job ad for Vortexa and it has been the best move I could have made!

What kind of qualities does a person need to have to succeed at Vortexa?

Vortexa is a place full of different people from different backgrounds, but what those people have in common is excellent teamwork, a desire to work hard and succeed as well as being flexible and adaptable.

What do you like about the culture?

My experience of the culture has so far only been virtual, but everyone has been exceptionally welcoming and friendly! I cannot wait to meet my colleagues in person over a glass of wine once the lockdown is over.

Who do you collaborate most with in the company?

Other than the other Product Specialists, I speak daily with the Sales team and Analyst teams. I also regularly interact with the Marketing and Design team on projects. A great deal of my collaboration is with our external users to discuss their feedback on the platform and how we can improve it!

What are the first three things you do on a Monday morning?

My mornings start with a virtual spin class, then a smoothie whilst I check my emails and slack channels. 

What energises you most about working as a Product Specialist?

I love being a part of such a fast moving and constantly evolving company, the platform improves constantly and I am really excited for the future of Vortexa.

 

Jessica Irvin
Head of Operations & People
Vortexa
Jessica Irvin
Jessica is Head of People & Operations at Vortexa and is responsible for hiring, learning & development, culture, engagement, performance management and leading expansion plans.