From Startup Skepticism to Global Energy Leadership: The Rebecca Dibb-Simkin Story
In an exclusive career retrospective, Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Marketing and Product Officer at Octopus Energy, reveals the pivotal moments that shaped her journey from advertising graduate to energy industry leader. Despite early warnings against joining a fledgling energy startup, Dibb-Simkin's decision to embrace Octopus Energy has proven visionary as the company now serves 11 million customers across 27 countries with a valuation reaching $10 billion.
Early Career: From Car Washing to Canary Wharf
Dibb-Simkin's entrepreneurial spirit emerged early with a car washing business she started with a friend at age 16, charging £2.50 for standard cars and £3.50 for larger vehicles. "We flyered 200 houses and were gutted when only one person called," she recalls. "But persistence paid off when we tapped the local second-hand car garage."
Her professional journey began in earnest when she moved to London in 2007 to work at Ogilvy Group, then the only advertising agency based in Canary Wharf's financial district. "I remember walking out of the Tube for the interview and being blown away by the architecture and energy," she says. "The culture of buying coffee on the way to work seemed exotic at the time."
The Pivotal Career Decision
Dibb-Simkin nearly pursued accounting with a job offer from KPMG before spotting an advertisement for an advertising agency graduate programme on the back of her student magazine. "Twenty years later, it was the right call," she reflects. "I'm fascinated by human behavior, and my career has evolved through communications, marketing, and product development."
Her most memorable job interview came unexpectedly with Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson. "I'd actually tried to get him to pass my CV to someone else," she explains. "He forgot for months but eventually read it himself and emailed saying he might have a role. He offered me a slot that same day at noon or the following week."
With characteristic decisiveness, Dibb-Simkin looked at what she was wearing, deemed it interview-ready, and met Jackson immediately. "I was captivated by his vision, told him he should hire me to help deliver it, and three hours later I had a new job," she recounts.
Overcoming Skepticism and Building Success
When Dibb-Simkin announced her move to Octopus Energy, a former colleague warned: "Why are you going to one of those energy startups? It'll go bust like all the rest." This skepticism only fueled her determination. She joined when the company had just 40 employees and has since helped transform it into a global energy disruptor.
"Octopus has always been about growing a different kind of business," Dibb-Simkin emphasizes. "A business that obsesses about consumers first, no longer treating them as passive offtakers in a global energy market designed against them."
Leadership Philosophy and Role Models
Dibb-Simkin credits several influential women for shaping her career approach, including the late Dame Annette King of Ogilvy, Nina Bhatia of Hive, and her mother, a professor of marketing. "Representation is so important," she stresses. "If you can't see someone who looks like you doing things where you want to be, you're less likely to believe you can get there."
The best career advice she ever received came as a revelation: "No one comes to work to do a bad job. People may be unable, unwilling, or out of their depth, but no one says, 'You know, I'm just going to do that badly.' Unpicking the reason for attitudes and behaviors is key to understanding them."
Balancing Professional and Personal Life
Despite her demanding role, Dibb-Simkin maintains strong connections to her personal life. Born in Manchester and now living in Rugby, Warwickshire, she commutes four days weekly to London while prioritizing family time. "My four children and a dog would get sad otherwise," she notes with characteristic humor.
Weekends typically involve museum visits with her children, gardening projects, and multiple dog walks. When she finds twenty minutes to herself, she's "obsessed with the gym and hitting 500 calories burnt in 30 minutes."
London Perspective and Future Outlook
Dibb-Simkin remains passionate about London, calling it "still my favorite city in the world." She marvels at "the financial power of the City and my old stomping ground at Canary Wharf," particularly considering "the respective size of this country compared with so many others."
Her optimism extends to broader challenges, inspired by a meeting with former US Vice President Al Gore. "He talked inspirationally about the power of humanity and our ability to use our brains to dig ourselves out of any situation," she recalls. "Let's look up at where we're going, not down at our feet."
Personal Touches and Future Dreams
When asked about lunch preferences, Dibb-Simkin doesn't hesitate: "I don't sit down for long, so I'd take you to the nearest Greggs for a chicken bake." Her coffee order is consistently English breakfast tea, while her cocktail choice is Kir Royale.
If given two weeks off with unlimited resources, she would take her children to the Maldives, specifically choosing "one of those houses with the glass bottoms so you can see the fish." This dream reflects both her family focus and practical considerations, as one of her children has special needs that make traveling challenging.
From skeptical beginnings to global energy leadership, Rebecca Dibb-Simkin's journey demonstrates how vision, persistence, and consumer-focused innovation can transform both careers and industries.
