I also have had non-executive and chairman roles at peer-to-peer lender Zopa and Consultant Connect. What we have to do now is a million times more complicated., The result of this simplified central planning could be seen the previous week, when electricity prices were colossally high, we were having to use lots of back-up supplies [and] we were literally paying wind generators in Scotland to turn off, because there werent enough cables connecting Scotland, where the electricity was being generated, to England, where we needed it., The solution, he says, is for the energy grid to become more like the internet. .more. Jackson applauds Boris Johnsons aspiration to make the UK the Saudi Arabia of wind, and believes such a project could transform our economy: If we build enough wind generation to meet our winter needs, nine months of the year were going to have unbelievably cheap electricity. Rebecca is a highly experienced marketer and known for breathing new life into technology products. Greg: Passionate young people who believe in our mission. Rebecca came to Octopus Energy following an eight-year career at UK energy company British Gas. Growth? About Greg Jackson: Greg is an experienced digital entrepreneur, passionate about making the green energy revolution affordable through technology. As the Observer arrives at the headquarters near Oxford Circus, in central London, for our interview, Jackson cheerfully leaps up from his desk among the troops. 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Three Co-op brands were affected: Octopus acquired the customers of the GB Energy and Flow Energy brands, and began to operate the accounts of Co-op Energy customers on a white label basis, while Midcounties retained responsibility for acquiring new Co-op Energy customers. [73], Octopus was one of a number of brands who considered pulling their advertising from the channel, with others including IKEA, Vodafone, Nivea, Kopparberg, Grolsch, the Open University, OVO Energy and LV=. Greg: No country is off limits to Octopus Energy, we aim to bring cheaper, greener energy and world-class customer service to many people all over the world. Greg: Dont get me wrong, profit and value are incredibly important to a companys life-cycle, but happiness should be put above all else. Jackson grew up in a rough neighborhood, and began learning martial arts to defend himself. Love building organisations around people, disrupting industries which underserve customers and society. [12][13], In both 2018 and 2019, Octopus was the only energy supplier to earn "Recommended Provider" status from the Which? [22], In February 2021, CEO Greg Jackson said on a BBC News interview that Octopus does not operate a human resources department. Until recently, he was also a non-executive Director for Zopa, the global pioneer of online peer to peer lending that is now Moneysupernarkets largest non-high street lender and is growing rapidly. As someone whose LinkedIn profile professes a love of disrupting industries that underserve customers and society, its no surprise Greg is passionate about enhancing the customer experience. I literally dont get invited to them. In our experience this leads to strong relationships between managers and team members, happier employees and higher productivity. [24], In July 2021 Octopus rose 12 places on the UK Customer Service Index to 17th, making it the only energy company in the Top 50. Clem led Octopus Energys campaign for an energy price cap and has worked closely with government to help drive policy for the decarbonisation of heat and support the transition to a more renewable grid. He began his career at consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble before running businesses including a coffee shop and a mirror manufacturer. Greg Jackson is CEO/Founder at Octopus Energy Ltd. See Greg Jackson's compensation, career history, education, & memberships. Greg Jackson on Twitter: "Octopus Energy recent commitments: 10,000,000 to build a decarb of heat R&D centre 5,000,000 to establish the Centre for Net Zero 108,000 to its BLM fund 1,000 ad on a right wing channel So, 15,108x more on progressive stuff More soon, but hope perspective helps." / Twitter. We also create industry leading technology that allows relentless efficiency and world class customer service, enabling us to retain our customers and keep them happy. The engineering part only takes a year.. Greg: I have a strong desire for my colleagues to be successful. Greg Jackson and his gyms have won five World MMA Awards altogether. [38], As of August 2021, the company has over 2.4 million domestic and business customers. Refresh Jackson and his family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico when he was three years old. "The cost of generating a green electron is already today dramatically cheaper than generating a fossil fuel electron" In the latest Inside Octopus, flex-perts Alex and Devrim discuss the path to a cheaper, smarter energy model through flexibility. We need to work like that now on the clean energy system., Jackson accuses the management of the UK energy grid as being stuck in the past, describing the National Grid as a monopoly and its control room as like a minicab office. We are doing the same thing in clean, green energy. This blog is the second in a series of business advice from Octopus Energy's founder and CEO Greg Jackson. The other key difference between Octopus and other utilities companies is technology. As 31 energy firms went bust since the start of last year, public ire has been directed at the bosses of failed challengers. His morning routine echoes the tycoons underprivileged childhood. Jackson reaffirmed that Octopus had not boycotted the channel. [59] It was first licensed by UK rival Good Energy in late 2019, for an initial three-year term, to manage its 300,000 customers. Greg is a serial tech entrepreneur and expert on all things business, having founded, sold and invested in a number of successful e-commerce businesses over the years. To be the first to hear about our events, get immediate access to new podcast episodes, and hear news picked just for you Join our community! Family In a relationship; has two children from previous partners. Its demoralising that we cant keep bills lower in the short term when we need it most, but we have done a tremendous amount up to now.. Jackson, 50, grew up near Middlesbrough. Octopus Energy for Business works with companies to provide future-proof energy services, supplying them with 100% renewable and fairly priced power. The mop-topped energy boss, dressed in grey T-shirt and jeans, has become the acceptable face of a pariah industry. [37], In January 2022 Octopus Energy entered the French market with the acquisition of Plm nergie, a French energy start-up with 100,000 retail and corporate accounts. He's founded a number of successful businesses, including e-commerce company C360, built HomeServe's innovation business and is an angel investor in a wide range of tech start-ups. [20], In November 2020 Octopus acquired Manchester-based smart grid energy software company Upside Energy, which in June 2021 rebranded as KrakenFlex. Octopuss other renewables ventures include a huge push to replace gas boilers with heat pumps, and investment in what will be the worlds longest subsea power cable, linking Devon to a vast solar farm in the Moroccan desert. [29], In September 2019 Octopus acquired German start-up 4hundred for 15m; the acquisition of 4hundred, which had 11,000 customers, was Octopus' first overseas expansion. Upon the acquisition, Octopus announced it was targeting a million Spanish energy accounts under its brand by 2027. Greg Jackson founded Octopus Energy in 2015 with a view to using technology to make the green energy revolution faster and cheaper for consumers. Greg Jackson is CEO of Octopus Energy, which is valued at more than 1.4billion . [18] The same month saw the launch of London Power, a partnership with the Mayor of London. Samuel Leroy Jackson (Washington D. C., 21 de diciembre de 1948), conocido como Samuel L. Jackson, es un actor y productor de cine, televisin y teatro estadounidense.Ha sido candidato al Premio scar, a los Globos de Oro y al Premio del Sindicato de Actores, as como ganador de un BAFTA al mejor actor de reparto y en 2022 se le entreg un scar honorfico a su trayectoria profesional. The division is also behind Octopus Energys Fan Club, a local energy tariff that provides cheaper energy when the wind blows. We scaled the business by repeatedly cloning micro businesses, and what works for us wont work for other businesses. We need to work like that now on the clean energy system., [See also: The power trap: Why the energy crisis is a crisis of politics], This article appears in the 13 Oct 2021 issue of the New Statesman, Perfect Storm. He began his working life as a video games programmer and always fancied a stint as a motorcycle courier (electric, of course).. consumer organisation. Our CEO Greg explains why standing charges are higher on new energy tariffs, and why electricity standing charges have gone up more than gas ones. Octopus's approach is certainly not for everyone. Or the F-word., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Octopus Energys Greg Jackson: Climate change is no longer this vague thing, Greg Jackson: We want a similar effort [on renewables] to the vaccine rollout.. I want them to feel happy and fulfilled by the work they do. The collection of projects reflects Jacksons entrepreneurial background. Will Dunn is business editor of the New Statesman. A weekly newsletter helping you fit together the pieces of the global economic slowdown. Jon is currently the Global Director of Operations for Octopus Energy Group and Kraken Technologies and a board member for a number of group companies in Europe and Asia Pacific regions.He has played a pivotal role in building and leading some of the most awarded and customer obsessed teams in the UK and abroad. Its actually more than that: bringing down energy costs is one of the reasons I started the business, he says. Last holiday Cotswold Water Park, with family and friends. What advice do you have for other businesses on environmental sustainability and its impact on climate change? After graduating I joined Procter & Gamble and went through management training, owned and turned around a number of small ventures, and I even managed a factory that made and sold Mirrors at one point. Is it profit, value or something else? Since relocating to the UK 7 years ago, Jon worked on the set-up of Bulb and later Octopus Energy. Education Huntcliff secondary school in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, east of Middlesbrough (left at 16); wrote video games software before returning to do A-levels; economics degree at Pembroke College, Cambridge. We have already done this in countries like Australia, Germany, US, New Zealand and Japan, so we still have many more countries that could benefit from this technology and our business model. Prior to joining Octopus Energy as Director of Operations, Tara spent three years at Tesla helping scale their service organisation in the UK & Benelux and as Country Manager for the UK. A newsletter showcasing the finest writing from the ideas section and the NS archive, covering political ideas, philosophy, criticism and intellectual history - sent every Wednesday. Both investors back businesses that drive sustainability, promote green energy and tackle climate change. I speak to tech founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Greg Jackson about how he used tech as the platform to disrupt one of the industries most resistant to, and in need of disrup Show Leaders in Cleantech, Ep Greg Jackson, Octopus - 75 - Apr 8, 2021 His morning routine echoes the tycoons underprivileged childhood. Jon holds an MBA in Business Administration from La Trobe University and Chifley Business School. Before Bulbs collapse, Octopus flirted with taking over its rival. Energetic and emotionally intelligent, Tara has almost 20 years of experience in developing breakthrough customer strategies and bringing out the best, most caring sides of individuals and teams doing the most vital of jobs, customer operations. Greg is also a strong advocate of maintaining a good work-life balance with his work-life blend, which to him means creating a symbiotic, rather than a compartmentalised relationship between his various work commitments and personal life, so he can remain present in all of them. I think Im too opinionated. [54] In June of that year, the group's fund management team bought the rights to develop the 35MW Gaishecke wind farm near Frankfurt, Germany. We'll cover a range of topics, including asking Greg what 2023 holds for the tech and energy sector at this challenging time, and which technologies he thinks are going to make a difference to the sector in the future. has recommended 5 years in a row. Rachel also works hand-in-hand with consumer bodies to ensure all customers are well served and benefit from the transition to net zero. Octopus Energy recent commitments: 10,000,000 to build a decarb of heat R&D centre 5,000,000 to establish the Centre for Net Zero 108,000 to its BLM fund 1,000 ad on a right wing . These days, Greg Jackson is the founder behind the only energy company recommended by Which?. Building on the award winning end-to-end entech platform, Kraken Utilities will create customer centricity and automated, scalable and efficient operations for other traditionally low-tech sectors, allowing innovation at pace. [60], In March 2020 it was announced that E.ON and its Npower subsidiary had licensed the technology to manage their combined 10 million customers. Jackson declined to comment on it. [35] As a result of these acquisitions, Octopus now has retail, generation or technology licences in 13 countries across four continents. My Entrepreneurial Journey with Greg Jackson on Thursday, 21 November. His old gym, Greg Jackson Fighting Systems won the Gym of the Year award in 2009. How would you define a successful business leader? KrakenFlexs cloud-based technology platform controls distributed energy assets such as large-scale batteries, EVs, or heat pumps with machine learning and AI to match electricity supply and demand, helping the electricity grid deal with the natural volatility of renewable generation. Sunday: 8am - 11pm, Interview with Entrepreneur - Greg Jackson - CEO of Octopus Energy. Greg Jackson was grilled by viewers on profits, prices and electric blankets . Greg Jackson was born in Washington D.C. to Kris and Jim Jackson, who were Quakers originally from the Midwest. Our middle management team in operations - which makes up most of our team - fares even better, being made up of 80% women and most of them have been with us from the first 50 employees we hired, showing that people are happy here and like to stay. Specialties: Technology. Could Octopus become another Bulb? [55], Octopus Renewables is contracted as the investment manager for Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust, an investment trust established in 2019 which owns wind and solar generation in the UK, Europe and Australia. He also holds an MBA from Yale University and is an independent non-executive director of the Thames Estuary Growth Board, where he co-chairs the hydrogen committee, and a Member of the Yale University Alumni Association Board of Governors. What defines a successful entrepreneur? It was founded in 2015 with the backing of British fund management company Octopus Group, a British asset management company. I learned a big chunk of what I know from a brilliant HR Director, Dennis Shuler at Procter & Gamble, who was a massive advocate of decentralisation and people centred management. Its Kraken platform was designed to take the traditional worry about renewable energy that wind and sunlight vary in availability and turn it into a virtue, by forecasting and monitoring the output of wind turbines and solar panels, and deciding where the energy should be used or stored when it is abundant. Jon has worked for the last 18 years building a number of successful energy challengers, service innovators and disruptors across both Australia and the UK. He writes on a range of topics including inflation, Brexit, the Bank of England, the world of work and the cost of living crisis. Or whether we organise a boycott of you". There was a problem! The only energy supplier Which? He won the Coach of the Year award in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Upstream reported that Jackson joined Greenpeace at the age of 16, and his expertise was in mirror manufacturing, coffee shops and software before launching Octopus Energy in 2015. [61] In May 2021 it was announced that E.ON had completed the migration of all two million former npower customers to its Kraken-powered E.ON Next customer service platform. [32] In September of that year, Octopus acquired Evolve Energy, a US Silicon Valley-based start-up, in a $5m deal. Driving full energy system change, the Group consists of 10 businesses across the energy value chain, operating in 8 countries globally and supporting 3.2 million customers in the UK. [4] Greg Jackson is the founder of the company and holds the position of chief executive. Mohamed Abubakar, his wife Rasha Al-Buriahi and their four children all sleep and eat in the same room. The New Statesmans weekly environment email on the politics, business and culture of the climate and nature crises - in your inbox every Thursday. The campaign won the 2020 Marketing Week Masters award for utilities, and the 2020 Energy Institute award for Public Engagement. A quick update on the week in companies, markets, finance and the world of work. As of September 2021 the company has over three million domestic and business customers, making it the fourth largest energy supplier Octopus Energy Group operates a wide range of business divisions, including Octopus Energy Retail, Octopus Energy for Business, Octopus Energy Services, Octopus Electric Vehicles, Octopus Energy Generation, Octopus Hydrogen, Kraken, Kraken Flex and the not-for-profit Centre for Net Zero. What inspired this leadership technique and what are the pros and cons of Octopus Energy not having a HR department? Hello Greg, and thank you for taking the time our to participate in this interview. Energy companies around the world still maintain that natural gas (perhaps cleaned up with a puff of hydrogen) is the transition fuel that will take us to net zero. [45][46] At the time of the acquisition, the generation assets were reported to be worth over 3.4billion. We need to learn from the pandemic, Jackson says. [27], In November 2021, Octopus announced in Manchester that it had signed a deal with the city region as part of a bid to become carbon neutral by 2038. Coaches Honored with Jackson/Winkeljohn Dat, How a powerhouse MMA gym rose out of necessity and is helping others, Ranking the 10 Best Camps in MMA Right Now, Rankings Spotlight: MMAs Top 5 Fight Gyms, "War And Peace In Jackson's Gym - SI.com - Magazine", "Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards 2010 - 2009 Winners", "Bellator's 'Fight Master' reality series set for summer debut on Spike TV", Jacksons Wink MMA Academy - Official Website, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greg_Jackson_(MMA_trainer)&oldid=1055483227, Sportspeople from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 November 2021, at 03:38. These include: In March 2019, Octopus announced it had partnered with Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant, to optimise home energy use through the Agile Octopus time-of-use tariff. Greg is an experienced digital entrepreneur, passionate about using technology to make positive change. Jackson explains need for market reform to move to renewable energy sooner. Octopuss youthful workforce is poring over energy consumption charts and enthusing about that bespoke tech, called Kraken, which will now be licensed to other utility companies. How we work Jackson, 50, grew up near Middlesbrough. Deepak has been involved as a partner to Octopus Energy Group since 2018. John is a highly experienced energy entrepreneur. Profit? Jackson has trained many successful fighters, including former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre, former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm, former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans, and a roster of other UFC contenders and World Extr We train our managers to take on many of the functions that are normally covered by HR departments. [56][57], The Electric Universe service, which aims to simplify public charging of electric vehicles, was launched in 2020 as Electric Juice and rebranded in 2022. Prior to Octopus Energy, Zoisa was the UK Managing Director of the Dutch Utility, Eneco B.V. At Eneco, Zoisa helped grow the UKs renewable asset portfolio which consisted of more than 250MW of wind and solar projects, including a direct wire project with Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd. Eneco UK also supplied blue-chip companies such as Mars, Unilever, Heineken and AkzoNobel. Launched in 2016, the company's mission is to bring cheaper, greener power to all. Before starting KrakenFlex, Devrims professional career saw him take up executive roles with blue chip management consultancies and finance companies such as Publicis Sapient, Kearney and Lansdowne. In order to provide you with the latest digital energy web services you need to use the latest and greatest web browsers. [47][48], In October 2020, Octopus partnered with Tesla Energy to power the Tesla Energy Plan, which is designed to power a home with 100% clean energy either from solar panels or Octopus. Elsewhere, a vast screen displays the progress of Plots for Kilowatts, a scheme that matches areas where residents have said theyll put up with an onshore windfarm in return for lower bills with areas where landowners are keen to host one. At Octopus he has responsibility for finance, procurement & market risk management, customer acquisition and data science. Deepak is a successful entrepreneur himself, taking the tech business he founded from concept to IPO. [66] The campaign artwork was exhibited at over 5,000 sites, making it the largest ever digital out-of-home (DOOH) art exhibition. Best advice he has been given Integrity is what you do when no ones watching., Biggest career mistake Not seeking backers for the idea of Octopus Energy sooner., Word he overuses Brilliant. Our last question before ending this interview is around environmentally sustainable businesses and their impact on climate change. The Kent areas where house prices rose the most in 2022. The boss has now stated that it has "never . [72], Responding to Octopus Energy's decision on Twitter, Andrew Neil, founder of GB News, said "Let me know if you want to advertise. His first job on the milk round earned him 15 a week and he joined Greenpeace at sixteen. As of September 2022, more than 450 charging companies were taking part, allowing customers access to over 300,000 chargers in over 50 countries through a single card and/or app. With its smart tariffs proving customer appetite for flexibility, Octopus is pioneering a global system change to enable a cheaper, faster transition to renewables. Our team is made up of climate enthusiasts who know that switching people to green energy and growing that customer base around the world is the number one thing we can do to turn the tide on climate change. He also served as Director of several innovative businesses, including Zopa, the worlds first peer-to-peer lender, which has now lent almost 2bn fairly and responsibly. It is truly bonkers, he says, that the UK persists with a system in which central planners decide what cables are going to go where you can centrally plan a system thats got 100 power stations. In 1992, after graduating from Rio Grande High School, Jackson founded his own martial art, Gaidojutsu, which combines rudimentary techniques from catch wrestling and Muay Thai with basic judo locks. [30], In May 2020, Australian electricity and gas supplier Origin Energy paid A$507 million for a 20% stake in Octopus. He says it took years to find the 10m he needed to launch Octopus. The green energy firms founder on his sympathy for those struggling with bills and his exasperation at net zero opponents. Aside from that, every experience has helped in some way or another, and been a vital lesson to learn to get me where I am today. [5], In December 2021, Octopus Energy announced a long-term partnership with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, raising US$300m and taking the valuation of Octopus Energy Group to approximately $5bn. Recommended Providers", "Best and worst energy companies for 2021 revealed", "ENGIE UK announces the sale of its residential energy supply business to Octopus Energy", "Mayor of London and Octopus Energy's London Power goes live", "Ten fast-growing scaleups drove UK tech boom in 2020, Tech Nations' report shows", "Octopus Energy acquires Upside Energy as it moves to open Manchester tech hub", "CEO Secrets: 'My billion pound company has no HR department', "FT 1000: the fifth annual list of Europe's fastest-growing companies", "UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) Institute of Customer Service", "Octopus Energy prepares for air-source heat pump revolution", "Octopus to take on failed Avro Energy's 580,000 stranded customers", "Energy firm to create 300 Manchester jobs through city region partnership", "UK government approves agreement between Bulb and Octopus Energy, providing certainty to 1.5 million customers", "Octopus Energy reaches into Germany with 15m capture of 4hundred", "Australia's Origin Energy to buy 20% stake in UK's Octopus Energy", "Octopus Energy gains unicorn status with 1bn valuation", "Octopus Energy launches into US market with startup acquisition", "Octopus Eyes Japan's Power Market with Tokyo Gas Joint Venture", "Octopus Energy expands into Italy with acquisition of SATO Luce e Gas", "Octopus Energy expands into Spain with Umeme acquisition", "Octopus Energy raises long-term investment to value startup at $5bn", "Stream of customers moving to energy supplier Octopus slows as gas price spikes", "Octopus offers transparency with wholesale price tariff", "Thousands were paid to use extra renewable electricity on windy weekend", "New energy tariff aims to slash charging cost for electric vehicle owners", "Octopus Energy integrates with Amazon Alexa for smart energy use", "Octopus Energy and Ebico join forces to make sustainable heating cheaper", "Octopus Investments increases solar portfolio financing", "FCA clears acquisition of Octopus Renewables by Octopus Energy", "Octopus Energy takes control of group renewables unit", "Tesla Energy Plan launched inviting homes to become part of Virtual Power Plant", "Octopus leans into wind power generation", "Octopus Energy launches 'world first' local time of use Fan Club tariff", "Octopus to Raise 4bn to Expand its 'Fan Club' Model for Local Renewables", "Octopus Energy Group signs deal with Elia Group for European smart green energy grid", "Octopus makes German wind investment as it plans future Fan Club tariff expansion", "Octopus to make offshore wind core investment focus", "Octopus rebrands roaming charge service to become 'Electric Universe', "Octopus Energy choses AWS as its preferred cloud provider for Kraken", "Good Energy turns to Octopus' Kraken for customer services platform", "E.ON allies with Octopus Energy to revamp UK retail business", "E.ON hails turnaround in UK retail business with 100m earnings jump", "Two million customers migrated to Kraken powered E.ON Next in 'record time', "EDF to move 5m customers to Octopus Energy Group digital platform", "How Kraken is waking up customer service for global partners", "We're working with Octopus Energy on a Climate Change Art Prize", "How Octopus Energy used art to get people to switch to green energy", "EI Awards 2020 recognise energy sector's 'indispensable contribution', "The Solar Powered Message of COP26 | Grace Of The Sun", "Ad slots were not planned by us.
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