Octopus Energy praises Coventry as it reveals why it opened its city office

The talent and skills of Coventry graduates made it the right choice for a new office, says a senior member of Octopus Energy. Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Marketing and Product Officer (CMPO) at Octopus Energy, spoke at the latest Coventry and Warwickshire Champions Event.

Octopus Energy has opened an office in Coventry at Two Friargate after outgrowing its former space in Leamington Spa. Rebecca, who grew up in Kenilworth and lives in Rugby, spoke to companies at the event about the ambitions for Octopus regionally, nationally and globally.

The energy supplier has joined 1.9 million new customers from the first quarter of 2023. The Coventry offices are initially home to 150 staff across a range of roles, with plans to further expand its presence in the city.

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She said: “There is always a huge amount of graduate talent in the Midlands, particularly in Coventry with the two universities. There are good transport links and great local authorities to deal with.

“We are very proud to be here in the Midlands and I will personally make sure we are here to stay and give as much as we can to this epic part of the world.”

More than 150 people attended the latest Coventry and Warwickshire Champions event held at the Albany Theater in Coventry. The event was opened by Nic Erskine, Chief Executive of CW Champions, and facilitated by Adam Dent of PLMR Advent.

David Merideth, chairman of The Albany Theater Trust, and Kevin Shaw, artistic director and chief executive, spoke first on the morning, which was one of the first major business events to be hosted at the theater since the completion of the latest phase of redevelopment. They highlighted how the theater sold more than £1m worth of tickets last year and is set to contribute £4.5m to the economy this year.

Dent hosted an on-stage interview with Dr Isabella Moore CBE, founder of The Olderpreneur Alliance and founder/director of Comtec Translations. Isabella discussed her career, how she became one of the UK’s leading experts in translation services, Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce and more recently founded The Olderpreneur Alliance.

The Olderpreneur Alliance is a social enterprise that is dedicated to training, supporting and advocating for later entrepreneurs. The event concluded with a presentation from Mike Murray, Project Director of Greenpower Park and Commercial Real Estate Director at Rigby Real Estate.

He highlighted how Greenpower Park, at Coventry Airport, will be a market center of excellence for electrification, battery technology and manufacturing, and how the Gigafactory in the West Midlands is at the heart of the development.

Nic Erskine said: “This was another Champions event with a fantastic, diverse and dynamic line-up of speakers – all with a Coventry and Warwickshire connection. We would like to thank the Albany Theater for their hospitality and it was great to hear about the incredible work they do in the Coventry community.

“We would also encourage businesses to learn more about Champions and get involved in this incredible network that really shines a light on all that is great in our region.”