Read about Oliwia's journey from green pastures to pastures new at National Grid ESO

Oliwia Milek, Energy Forecasting Manager, was recently profiled by National Grid ESO as part of its new video series, showcasing individuals with interesting roles in the business. Oliwia’s career started after she finished her undergraduate degree in environmental protection in Poland.

That summer, she took a placement in the UK working on British farms. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to take a full gap year doing the same again, before taking a UK master’s course in renewable energy and sustainability.

After Oliwia’s graduation, she was working at a local authority in Reading as part of its sustainability team and one of her colleagues brought her attention to a job advert from National Grid ESO. The job was for clerical work in the control room, which she secured an interview for. At the interview, she was told she was overqualified for the position, so the team suggested she apply for a different role in the energy forecasting team, which sounded like a brilliant opportunity. Seven years later, Oliwia is the manager of that team. 

The energy forecasting team forecasts electricity demand using historical demand data. It also takes into consideration the latest weather information, including any weather warnings from the Met Office, flooding and even lightning, to predict any mitigating actions that the system operator may have to take. Recently, the team was monitoring the effects of Storm Dorian on the grid. 

In the video, Oliwia talks about one of her career highlights, which came last year when she was named by the Polish Embassy as one of 18 women living in the UK that are making a positive contribution to society. Oliwia also explains how she feels extremely honoured every day to be working as part of such a diverse and talented team at National Grid ESO. 

Watch the video above to find out more about Oliwia’s story.