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I studied Economics at the University of Warwick, and one thing I particularly liked about my course was the real-world application of what I was learning. That is what interested me most, which made me think I wanted to do something where I could have a tangible impact and make a positive contribution to society.

I thought the oil industry was very dynamic and I was drawn to that; it felt very exciting. Given my degree, I already had an interest in markets, so when I found the graduate scheme on Bright Network it felt like a really good fit and a natural transition into the working world.

I also remember feeling really strongly that I wanted to be passionate about my job, and Phillips 66 was the one graduate scheme I really wanted. The application process stood out as well. There was a real personal touch to it that made it stand head and shoulders above the rest. People made time for you and made you feel valued, which left a very strong impression on me.

Not necessarily in a fixed way, but I was always interested in it. Whenever we learned about renewable energy at school, that was always the topic I found most interesting.

I also remember, around that time, reading that West Texas Intermediate (WTI) had gone negative in April 2020 – another strange Covid-era phenomenon – and thinking, ‘what is this? How can oil prices go below zero? Are computers even set up to be able to do this?’

It was obviously a really unusual and difficult period, but it was also fascinating to see the ripple effects and how society responded. That made me feel it would be an opportunity to apply what I’d learned in my degree, challenge myself and do something real that helps people live their lives.

What’s become even more interesting since joining is seeing just how complicated and interconnected the energy sector is. That’s one of the things I find most exciting about being here. Companies like ours can help drive change, but it’s also a reminder that change in energy is rarely simple or sudden. It was so interesting to start learning about that from the inside and be part of it.

I joined in July 2022 in Customer Support, looking after a cohort of wholesale customers. That was a great first role because it gave me experience of communicating with customers and helped me understand how UK Marketing and the infrastructure behind it actually works.

In summer 2023, I moved into Risk, which was a complete 180 for me. It was a huge shift in the way of thinking. You go from speaking to people every day, in and out of the company, to something much more autonomous. But it was a brilliant learning experience because you start to see how all the different parts of our Commercial trading business unit interrelate. You get exposure to operations, trading decisions, hedging and vessels, so it gave me a really strong commercial insight.

Then, in August 2024, I completed the grad scheme and moved into Supply, initially covering pipelines including Bramhall, IPC and Exolum, and now shipping for Scotland. That’s given me exposure to different terminals and types of infrastructure, and a much better appreciation of the fine balance involved in managing supply across the network.

What was so great about going through the grad scheme was that you’re not kept in a pen until people trust you enough to make decisions. You’re dropped into the role like anybody else and trusted with responsibility from the get-go. From day one, I was picking up the phone and speaking to customers. I felt really valued right from the start, and I think that helped empower me to believe in myself.

At its simplest, Supply is about moving product from A to B within the UK. But in reality, it’s much more than that. You’re sitting between the refinery, the infrastructure and customer demand, and trying to make all those parts work together.

A lot of the role is about forecasting, planning and balancing competing priorities. We’re looking at customer nominations and forecasts, building replenishment plans around those, and constantly making sure terminals have what they need. It’s a very dynamic part of the business and requires balancing moving parts from shared pipeline and engineering works across the rail network, to weather and global market volatility. It really is a case of assessing and reassessing all the time.

The first thing I’ll do is come in and look at stocks, understand what was lifted the day before, what replenishments have come through, and what position we’re in at the start of the day. From there, we prepare for the daily team update, where we run through stock positions and supply plans.

After that, it really depends on the day and the time of the month, which is one of the things I like about the role. Some days it’s about updating production planning on requirements, some days it’s month-ahead planning, and some days it’s more focused on shipping plans, claims, invoices or inventories for hedging purposes. It changes constantly.

One good example of the behind-the-scenes detail involved is grade changeover. As we move from winter to summer and vice versa, we need to draw tanks down far enough that we can turn the product in the heel and make sure terminals are ready to receive the next grade. It’s one of those things most people would never think about – that fuel specifications change between seasons to account for temperature and other conditions on motors – but it has to be managed carefully so product is in the right place and in the right condition when customers need it.

Probably how much thinking and problem-solving goes into it, and how quickly things can change. Every day is different, and there’s a lot of optimisation involved. If one terminal is running high, another is tight, or a vessel is delayed, you’re constantly asking yourself what can be moved, what can be changed and what that means somewhere else in the network.

It definitely requires attention to detail, but also creativity, collaboration and good working relationships. A lot of the job is about working through issues with other people, using your network and finding the best way through whatever challenge is in front of you that day.

One of my favourite things to do is yoga. I’ve got a yoga teaching qualification, which is something I’m really proud of. I did the required 200 hours of training through a studio near my house, and it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. I learnt so much about myself and I’ve made friends for life there.

It also ended up being a bit like a public speaking course! Getting up in front of a room full of people and telling them what to do definitely helped my confidence. When I came back to the office afterwards, I felt more confident speaking up in meetings and expressing myself.

I’m also training for the Royal Parks Half Marathon through work for Little Village, our 2026 London office charity partner. I’m definitely not a natural runner, so it’s been a good reminder of what it feels like to learn a completely new skill as an adult.

And outside of that, I play the piano, which is something I’ve done since I was about four. It’s a real outlet for me and something I can get completely lost in.

I think because I’m Maltese, I was exposed to lots of different languages from a really young age. My family speak English, Maltese and Italian, so I was used to being around different sounds and things I didn’t always understand. I loved languages at school and picked them up quite quickly.

I did Mandarin at A level and continued it alongside my studies at university, and one day I’d love to be fluent. That’s kind of my secret life goal. Because goals have got to be SMART, the way I’d measure that is through the HSK exam, which is the standard proficiency test for Mandarin. I got to around Level 4 by the time I finished university, which is a solid intermediate level, but one day I’d love to get myself to Level 6. That would feel like a real marker that I’d properly achieved that goal.

I’ve learnt that your best is good enough. This is my first corporate job, and I hold myself to quite high standards. I think when you first start working, it can feel quite strange because it’s not like an exam. A lot of day-to-day work isn’t measurable or black and white. There isn’t always a clear right answer, and things happen that are outside your control. It took me a while to learn that things can still go well even if they’re not perfect.

The other thing I’ve learnt is how much I love working with people. That’s probably also my favourite thing about the company. Genuinely, I look forward to coming into work every day. You’re always met with a smile, it’s such a warm and inclusive environment, and people are really keen to help you get everything you can out of your learning and development. The culture here is second to none and the company hosts such a great variety of initiatives across the year.

I think that’s increasingly rare. Among my alumni, not many are still at the same company or see themselves staying long, so it’s inspiring to be somewhere where you can see people have built whole careers, and where you can see doors unfolding in front of you. I’m excited for what the future may hold for me here!