Naomi Clayson, Senior Regulatory Policy Officer
Want to do work that touches the lives of millions?
Naomi’s future is Energy Queensland
You’d assume that a role in regulatory policy would be dry, clinical and prioritise the law above the individual. But not at Energy Queensland. And certainly not for Naomi Clayson. Our Senior Regulatory Policy Officer is passionate about ensuring that the customer’s interest is protected every step of the way, and has played a key role in shaping our policies and practices to be human at heart.
Unlocking potential
How many times have you been on the line with a call centre and had to listen to a robotic voice read out a generic script?
As someone on the other end of the line, Naomi Clayson saw her opportunity to make a change. She noticed how customers would tune out when played excessively long, obligatory scripted messaging and wanted to create a better experience that benefited both the customer and the regulator.
“The regulator is looking to protect the customer’s interest by making sure they’re informed. Explicit informed consent is important, but customers are more likely to know what they’re consenting to if they’re hearing it in simple terms rather than legal jargon.
“Before we would play a message, we’d be having a natural conversation with the customer, and it was better for everyone. So, I used my skills interpreting and applying the law to translate that script from a long-winded, wordy message to a simple statement that could be integrated into our calls.”
Even more impressively, Naomi was still a student at the time, juggling casual call centre work with her busy study schedule. She was quickly promoted into a Team Leader role, where she felt empowered to identify opportunities to meet regulatory requirements while reducing costs - and improving the customer experience in the process.
“The business has embraced my development in so many ways more than just words. I was allowed to take paid days off for exams, and have flexible hours to accommodate for my uni schedule. Another thing I love about working here is the study assistance. My managers supported me to advocate for the last half of my degree to be worthy of that financial assistance, which made a massive difference.”
Come build the career you’ve always wanted. Your Future is Energy Queensland
A meaningful impact
Naomi’s role as Team Leader with Ergon Energy Retail (a part of Energy Queensland) made her even more aware of her team’s regulatory impacts and, in combination with her law degree, she realised it was a skillset she wanted to nurture. Moving into the regulatory space seemed like a natural next step.
“We have a great country in Australia, and our collective desire to maintain that quality of life really does flow through into regulation. There’s so much going on behind the scenes to ensure that people’s basic needs don’t become a luxury. One big-ticket item that’s being championed by the regulator is called ‘Game Changer Reforms’, which is all about how we can make an essential service easier to access.”
Ensuring Ergon meets its regulatory obligations while protecting customer interests is a fine line to walk. Naomi says her role encompasses “all things law, from start to finish,” but with a deeply human approach. Her time in our call centre gave her an understanding of the barriers in place for some people to access essential services, making her uniquely qualified to champion regulatory changes that support our more vulnerable customers.
“When a customer has to call us because they haven’t paid their bill, it’s never that they don’t want to pay it; there’s always a reason behind it. Our people are specifically trained to identify unstated needs in all kinds of situations - financial hardship, domestic violence or a mental health crisis. There’s so much ongoing training and guidance, and we’re always looking for more ways to support the people at the face of our business and, in turn, for them to support our customers.”
Although she’s no longer on the front line, Naomi is deeply proud that she’s still able to impact our customers on a policy and compliance level. Embedding equity into all levels of our regulatory policy gives her immense satisfaction, and she’s proud to be part of a team that cares about making a genuine difference.
“There’s so many things that electricity impacts. It really can make or break our quality of life. That’s why we always try to achieve the best result for the customer. Every day, I feel like I’m actually making a difference - by highlighting key issues our customers face and encouraging changes to the law in a way that makes sense operationally and practically.”
The best of both worlds
Despite having achieved so much already, it’s still early days in Naomi’s career journey. She’s excited to see what the future holds and knows that whatever path she chooses, Energy Queensland will support her every step of the way.
“Energy Queensland is so much larger than I envisioned when I first joined. Any role you can imagine, we probably have it. We have such amazing mentors here who will support you to advance your career. The leaders I had early in my career were pivotal to my success - even though I was completely green, they saw potential in me and invested in my development. They’re a big reason why I’ve stayed as long as I have.”
With the transition to clean energy underway, Naomi has seen Energy Queensland step up and offer scholarships for thousands of engineers who are seeking to reskill. We need plenty of engineers to help rebuild our network, and the ever-ambitious Naomi is itching to get involved.
"This is probably a pipe dream, but I would love to be a cross between regulatory and engineering. There’s a real need for someone who understands the technical side of things and also how it flows through on the practical end, and I would like for that to be me. I feel like it would be the best of both worlds!
“The thought of going back to uni and studying engineering is kind of scary, but I know the business would support me.
"We’re having a once-in-a-generation transformation, and I want to be able to look back and say I was part of it. Energy Queensland offers me the opportunity to shape that transformation - why wouldn’t I take advantage of that?”
