Octopus CMO Rebecca Dibb-Simkin: I was warned against joining an energy startup
Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, Octopus CMO Rebecca Dibb-Simkin takes us through her career, from being warned off joining an energy startup to her love of Greggs chicken bakes, in Square Mile and Me
CV
- Name: Rebecca Dibb-Simkin
- Job title: Chief marketing and product officer at Octopus
- Previous roles: Head of product at Hive; head of marketing at Centrica; account management at Ogilvy Group
- Age: 42
- Born: Manchester, UK
- Lives: Rugby, Warwickshire
- Studied: University of Nottingham
- Talents: I asked my four year old, and he said “putting the TV on” and my 10 year old who said “work”. May need to work on my parenting skills a tad.
- Motto: Carpe diem
- Biggest perk of the job? I do own a lot of Octopus Energy plushies
- Coffee order: English breakfast tea, always
- Cocktail order: Kir Royale
- Favourite book: Currently, the Hungry Caterpillar, which I read with my four and six year olds
What was your first job?
Car washing. I flyered 200 houses with my friend Sarah (£2.50 a normal car, £3.50 for a big car) and was gutted when only one person called. But we were persistent, we tapped up the local second hand car garage and the round grew over time. Sadly, Sarah was distracted by the bright lights (and warm seats) of Boots the Chemist when she hit 16. But I stuck it out for another year until hosing cars in winter finally lost its appeal (particularly on a hangover).
What was your first role in the City?
I moved to London in 2007 to work at Ogilvy Group – unusual then for being the only advertising agency based in the financial district of Canary Wharf. I remember walking out of the Tube for the job interview and being blown away by the sheer size of the architecture, the drive of everyone bustling to work and the weird culture of buying a coffee on the way to work (how exotic).
When did you know you wanted to build a career in the City?
I was going to be an accountant with a job offer from KPMG when I read an ad for an advertising agency graduate programme on the back of my student magazine and thought ‘why not?’. Twenty years later, it was the right call. I’m fascinated by human behaviour and my career has developed through communications, marketing and product development to a role at Octopus, which from the very beginning has been about growing a different kind of business. A business which obsesses about consumers first, no longer a passive offtaker of a global energy market designed against them.
What’s one thing you love about Canada?
London is a remarkable city, and still my favourite in the world. The financial power of the City (and my old stomping ground at Canary Wharf) still blows me away. Especially you think about the respective size of this country compared with so many others. We’ve so much to be proud of.
And one thing you would change?
Two thousand years ago, Boudica (yep, she was real) razed the Roman Londonium to the ground – the fabled ‘ red layer’ of burned ash below our streets isn’t *quite* true (it’s there, but more in pockets). But overall, let’s remember it’s a city that’s been here for thousands of years, and will be for thousands more, and I personally wouldn’t change anything about the journey it’s going on.
What’s been your most memorable job interview?
With my current boss, the effervescent Greg Jackson. I’d actually tried to get him to pass my CV to someone else. He forgot for months, but felt bad so took a read over himself and having just launched his energy company dropped me an email to say he might have a role. He also said “I’m free today at 12, or next week”. Patience is not one of my virtues (nor in fact his), and having looked down to see what I was wearing decided it was interview ready. I was captivated by his vision, told him he should hire me to help deliver it, and three hours later I had a new job.
And any business faux pas?
At graduate new starter drinks at my advertising agency, I proudly told a chap in a suit “I’m so chuffed to have got this job, I was going to be an accountant. What do you do?’”. “I’m the CFO.”
What’s been your proudest moment?
I’ve worked at Octopus Energy since it was a 40 folk start up, and it’s been an incredible ride to build the business to 11m customers, 27 countries and $10bn valuation. BUT the first thing to come to mind when I read this was when my balance sheet balanced in my financial accounting exam at university. I remember being incredibly disappointed that I couldn’t get up and high five anyone.
And who do you look up to?
I didn’t realise it then, but I was lucky enough to have stellar female role models in my early career, the late, great Dame Annette King of Ogilvy, the exceptionally smart Nina Bhatia of Hive, and my mum, a professor of marketing. Representation is so important and I try to champion it now – if you can’t see someone who looks like you, doing things where you want to be, you’re less likely to believe you can get there.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given?
No-one comes to work to do a bad job. Which is so true if you think about it. It was a lightbulb moment for me with regards both leading a team and engaging with fellow humans at work. People may be unable, unwilling or out of their depth, but no-one says ‘ya know, I’m just going to do that badly’. Unpicking the reason for attitudes and behaviours is key to understanding them. (It’s old school, but Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can still be helpful for thinking about where someone is).
And the worst?
“Why are you going to one of those energy startups, it’ll go bust like all the rest.” (A former colleague when I told her I was leaving to work at Octopus).
Are you optimistic for the year ahead?
I refuse to be anything other than an optimist. I was lucky enough to once meet former US Vice President Al Gore and he talked inspirationally about the power of humanity and our ability to use our brains to dig ourselves out of any situation (“tech will save us”). Let’s look up, at where we’re going, and not down at our feet.
We’re going for lunch, and you’re picking – where are we going?
I don’t sit down for long, so I’d take you to the nearest Greggs for a chicken bake (you know you want one too).
Where’s home during the week?
I’m usually four days a week in London but commute back and forth from Rugby in the Midlands. (Or my four children and a dog would get sad).
And where might we find you at the weekend?
I love to do stuff with my kids. Last weekend included the Warwick Museum (a beehive and a very old stuffed bear!), soft play, tomato planting, grass seeding, painting the loo, birthday lunch with my 13 year old and umpteen dog walks. If I’ve 20 minutes to myself I’m obsessed with the gym and hitting 500 calories burnt in 30 mins (450 and counting).
You’ve got a well-deserved two weeks off. Where are you going and who with?
If money were no object and I could teleport there (one of my little ones has special needs which makes travelling difficult), I’d take my kids to the Maldives and one of those houses with the glass bottoms so you can see the fish.