Meet the Team: Mike Lanigan, Associate Director of Operations
Our Meet the Team blog series highlights the amazing people behind Moixa. A big thank you to Mike, our Associate Director of Operations, who sat down with us to talk about Moixa and his role; and to share his thoughts on the future of renewable energy.
Mike Lanigan, Associate Director of Operations
Mike has been working for Moixa for about 2.5 years, leading the Operations team to successfully deliver the end-to-end post-sales customer journey. This also includes managing subcontractors and supervising the teams in charge of the supply chain and customer support.
Before joining Moixa, Mike worked as a Project Manager for the London Hydrogen Bus Project and as a Programme Manager for the London Quietways Cycle Scheme. Other professional experiences include a solar installation company and an EV charging company, enabling him to combine his significant project management experience with solid product knowledge in the field of renewable energy.
Mike holds a BSc Honours degree in Wildlife Science and Agribusiness and an MSc degree in Business Strategy and the Environment.
How did you first hear about Moixa, and what made you want to take the job?
I heard about Moixa through a recruiter. I was interested in the job because I believed then, as I do now, that the future of renewable energy and the key component to its success would be software and smart grid technology.
What elements of Moixa and our business are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about Moixa’s technology and vision and the people at the company who work together to deliver Moixa’s goals.
What happens on a typical workday for you?
My day always starts with our Operations team catch-up meeting. I’m then usually quite busy with meetings, working with various parts of the business. Every day, I try to spend some time on continuous improvement and planning how we get to the next stage in serving our customers better. With a reasonably large team, I also have frequent one-to-one sessions with team members and my manager.
Are you currently working on any particularly interesting projects? What excites you about it?
I am excited about helping shape the commercial rollout for green energy provider Energia, and third party hardware offers. I’m designing processes that aim to streamline and professionalise how we onboard customers and ensure that user agreements are signed and have all the required information to serve these customers, whatever the business model.
Creating a service-focused process that ensures we can effectively manage both customers and clients will put us in good stead for broader rollouts in the future and ensure we have happy customers that are well taken care of.
Read about how Moixa is working with Energia to grow the renewable energy prosumer market in Ireland.
What has been the biggest challenge that you and your team had to overcome?
During my time at Moixa, we had to face many challenges, such as the initial stages of the Covid-19 crisis. It was a difficult time, but the way my team pulled together was great. We developed a set of procedures and checks and ensured we could continue with site visits without a single Covid incident to date.
The biggest challenge is probably that our work spans several different areas (from the supply chain, site visits, training, customer support and technical commissioning) and involves site work in potentially dangerous situations (i.e. electricity). We need to keep our eyes on several spinning plates, and the nature of operations is that it’s generally customer-facing and very immediate.
We use the term ‘Ops never stops’ – which gives a good idea of the challenges we face. Fortunately, I have a great team, and everyone does their bit to keep the wheels turning.
What is the most interesting/surprising thing you have learnt whilst working at Moixa?
The sheer scale of the problem Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Electric Vehicles (EV) will have on the grids of the future if we don’t look at how to manage them more smartly. Another exciting aspect is the value of the unclaimed prize of using small scale domestic storage and solar to meet these challenges.
What steps are you individually making towards a cleaner future?
I am focusing on many day-to-day things, including recycling and buying more sustainable products. I’m also currently looking to swap out our petrol vehicle for an EV.
What defines a successful month for you (and your team) at Moixa?
Delighted customers. We don’t expect everything to work perfectly all the time, but how we handle situations and deal with our customers is how we define success.
What are the key skills you need to be successful in your role?
Some vital skills for my role are: people management, understanding the UK electrical industry, ability to multi-task, and the ability to design processes and procedures.
If you had a magic wand, what change would you make to the energy industry?
I’d substantially increase incentives for the uptake of small scale solar generation, combined with storage, to be used for grid services.
What motivates you?
Human progress that improves people’s lives and enhances, rather than damages, the health of the planet.
What is the one thing we should know about you that isn’t on your CV or LinkedIn Profile?
I started my working life after university as a safari guide in Southern Africa. Having completed a four-year BSc degree in Wildlife Management and Conservation, I had planned to return to work in Southern Africa, after a couple of years abroad, in the conservation or the safari industry. A couple of years abroad turned into 18, and I eventually decided to focus on the macro requirements of protecting the environment (e.g. global clean energy) instead of the micro-level conservation activities within a specific area.
If you weren’t in your current role, what else do you think you would be doing?
I’d be working in the same industry, either in a similar operational role or project management.
What is one great piece of career advice you have been given?
What you do for work doesn’t have to be the thing you’d choose to do on your day off, but make sure it fulfils you and gives you purpose.
What are your top tips for someone who wanted to work at Moixa or in the renewable energy industry?
Moixa is a great place to work, and the industry is currently at the beginning of a golden era. There are many facets of the industry you can work in, but combining electrical engineering with software development will put you in good stead to understand future problems and solutions.
A huge thank you to Mike for taking the time to discuss his life at Moixa. You can connect with Mike on LinkedIn here.
If you would like to hear more about available roles at Moixa, visit our careers page.