Emily Groves, Founder and Managing Director

WHAT DO YOU DO AT INDIGO SWAN?

As MD I perform a wide variety of roles. My routine activities include guiding our company direction, finance management, working with our brilliant management team and managing our key relationships.

I’m a bit of a geek as I really enjoy exploring process developments and operational efficiencies. I could easily spend hours customising our CRM system, designing workflows or introducing new compliance checks.

I take great pleasure in exploring client needs and finding innovative ways for us to help them make better energy decisions.

I am honoured when I’m asked to speak at events or support exciting business initiatives.

Ultimately, it is my responsibility to ensure all the Swans feel trusted and empowered to represent the energy industry in the very best way possible.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

For the past two years, Indigo Swan have been raising money for the charity Norwich Mind. In our first year of fundraising I publicly shared a very personal blog, about why I feel we need to talk more about mental health. It was a topic that was really hard for me to address due to the experiences I had in my childhood.

However, as with anything in business and life, I feel very strongly that we have to lead by example and, as I believe we need to talk more about mental health, I needed to put my thoughts into action.

I hoped that my openness would encourage the other Swans to grow in confidence about speaking to each other, their family and friends. The feedback and personal connections I’ve received already make me feel really proud and hopeful for the future.

TELL US AN INTERESTING FACT?

My favourite place in the world is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and Redwoods in Big Sur, California.

HOW DID YOU GET HERE?

Indigo Swan was born out of the miserable experience and utter frustration I had in my previous role. I worked as a Development Director for an energy saving technologies consultancy. During that time I came to realise that there was a better way to do things – be more efficient, definitely more human, act responsibly and remove the hassle for the customer when engaging with the energy industry. It is because of my ambition to do things in a better way that my can-do attitude is shot through every single thing we do at Indigo Swan.

Take a look at my TED talk on ‘3 points to remember when inspiring innovation’.

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE YOUR HEADER IMAGE?

My photo is of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur, United States. I had an amazing holiday here and loved standing on a cliff watching a whale swimming up the Pacific coast with the majestic redwood forest behind me.