The Hot 100 career quiz: Ofgem’s Mark Mills

What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee?

The memory which sticks in my mind is towards the end of my time as a trainee. It was when I was told that the firm wasn’t able to offer me a job as an NQ in the team dealing with public law, competition and economic regulation, as I had hoped for. Having been so focused on obtaining that role, I remember questioning myself hard about what I was going to do.

Should I approach one of the teams which did have vacancies or should I trust my instincts about what I wanted to do? I did pursue some of those alternatives at the time, but it was probably clear to all concerned that my heart wasn’t really in it, so I took the decision to leave at the end of my training contract and explore options elsewhere.

The NQ jobs market wasn’t great at the time and the competition was fierce. I recall one particularly bad interview with a firm early on in my search which really hit me. I was fortunate though to have some good support around me which enabled me to keep an open-mind, including about looking to options in-house or in the public sector. I ended up obtaining an interview with Ofgem and was recruited.

Having been worried about having no role to turn to, I then ended up going almost straight into my new role at Ofgem (I think I had about five days off in the end). Since then, on one level I haven’t looked back but on another, I do so regularly, to remind myself of the resilience I showed to get through this difficult time.

What is the thing in your professional career that has terrified you or taken you out of your comfort zone the most?

Beyond the above example, being taken out of my comfort zone regularly is something which is “par for the course” in my current role. It is also what makes the role so interesting.

I recall early on in my career (probably when I had no more than a couple of years of PQE) being asked to join a Foreign Office sponsored delegation to Japan and having (suffering from terrible jet-lag at the time) to deliver a presentation to 200 or so senior representatives of industry and government at the British Embassy in Tokyo on energy regulation in Great Britain. I stood up to speak and with exceptionally shaky hands at the time, knocked an entire glass of water over my notes as I turned the first page. Despite this mishap, I managed to complete the presentation. The late Robert Lane (of CMS) who followed me told me that I had no idea until they made it to the podium that anything had happened. It’s a shame I still don’t really understand the rules of poker as I seem to have got the face sorted!

Beyond that, I also recall an event which has unfortunately been more common in the last 12 months but which hadn’t been seen for a decade or so in 2016: the failure of an energy supplier. I led the Ofgem team responsible for dealing with the legal aspects of the failure of GB Energy, including preparing for an urgent High Court application. As I was on my way across London for the hearing on the Saturday night, a family member phoned me to ask if I was involved in the story that had just appeared on the news. Just for a moment I reflected on the importance of the work I was doing and the impacts of it, particularly in protecting consumers. My next challenge then was to get the Order sealed by the court. Managing to get that done on a Saturday night was a whole different challenge…

What is the wisest thing anyone ever said to you (and who said it)?

“Speak to the least informed person in the room”. It has been with me for so long that I don’t actually remember who said it to me, although I can narrow it to a few potential candidates. It is a great principle for inclusive communication which I think is particularly important in the diverse, multi-disciplinary environment in which I work currently. If you focus on someone who knows very little or nothing about the subject-matter and can get your point across to them, you’ll have no problems taking those who are more informed with you too.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get to where you are/do the job you do?

Answering this question requires some unpacking of my current job which has many aspects: senior lawyer / technical expert, trusted adviser and leader, among many others. There isn’t time today to do that completely, so I’ll just focus on two things.

First, I think it is important to take time to focus on your motivations and maintain a clear sense of “why”. At Ofgem I am conscious of the important duties we have to act to protect consumers, and that performing my role well is critical to this. This definitely helps me stay committed through the long and difficult days which come along fairly regularly.

Second, there are so many times at Ofgem where I’ve had to advise on or help the organisation tackle issues which are unprecedented or otherwise challenging. I think working out how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable is crucial. For me, there are personal and team parts to this. On a personal level you need to be able to step back and be clear on both what you do know which is relevant (which is probably more than you might think initially) and on what you really don’t know. The latter is where your teammates can really help, but only if you’ve created, over time, a trusting environment where everyone can speak up and know their views will be valued. It is surprising how often the person with the least experience is the one who has the nugget of information to help you succeed.

What’s your best friend from law school doing now?

He’s now back home in Canada as a partner in a successful practice which he was involved in founding in Ontario. His practice involves a lot of litigation and advocacy. Looking back, I can see it was always the sort of work he would enjoy and be successful at, based on the (relatively modest) successes of our time working together as partners in the University of Essex moot court team.