From energy supplier to energy partner: two decades of building client relationships at scale

She had applied for an engineering role and Energia responded with a different proposition: a key account management position for someone with a technical background, as the business was beginning to move beyond electricity supply into energy efficiency.

Over the two decades that followed, Deirdre progressed through government, SME, and large energy user accounts. She was appointed to the Client Development Manager role in January 2026 and works across Energia’s key accounts team, supporting and mentoring key account managers, connecting customers with internal specialists, and helping to reframe the client relationship from energy supplier to energy partner.

What does the Client Development Manager role involve?

Deirdre Ryan: It builds naturally on my experience as a key account manager, where I spent over 20 years working closely with customers and helping them navigate the complex energy market. One of the advantages I bring to the role is the breadth of experience I’ve gained across multiple customer sectors - public sector and government organisations, SME customers, and more recently some of Energia’s largest energy users. That has given me a strong understanding of the different priorities and expectations customers have across all sectors.

The role is essentially about supporting the key account managers and helping them develop their customer base. That means looking beyond renewals or new sales to identify what’s working well for customers across billing, reporting, and our different product offerings. I still manage some of our larger sites directly while also supporting the KAMs in growing their business and identifying what’s working well for customers and what isn’t. Ultimately, it’s about having a real understanding of what customers need and the space to link in with other departments to pull it all together.

What does client development mean in practice?

For me it’s about understanding customer challenges and making sure Energia is positioned as a trusted long-term partner rather than simply an energy supplier. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that successful customer relationships are never built by one person alone. Throughout my career I’ve often acted as the bridge between customers and multiple internal departments. As Client Development Manager I want customers to feel that they have access to the collective expertise of Energia. That’s where real value is created and where long-term relationships are strengthened.

Looking back over 20-plus years, how has the business energy market changed?

When I started most conversations centred around price and supply. Today customers are also focused on sustainability, carbon reduction, renewable energy, efficiency, and risk management. They want strategic advice as well as competitive pricing. Customers are looking for an energy partner, not just a supplier. They want someone who will help them reduce their usage through monitoring systems and efficiency advice.

Are clients proactively raising efficiency and decarbonisation?

It definitely comes up naturally now, early in a meeting. Where previously you might only have been dealing with a financial controller you’ll often find that the customer now has an energy efficiency manager or someone in an ESG role. Customers have become much more proactive, partly because they have reporting obligations. Green energy is a good example. Many customers want 100% renewable electricity supply, with the certificates to prove it, and they want visibility on where their supply comes from. That’s one of   Energia’s strengths. Alongside the sales team we have a dedicated energy services department, and a big part of this role is connecting customers with the right experts across those areas.

What are your priorities for the first 12 months in the new role?

At the core it’s about listening to customers and identifying what they need. But we’re also looking ahead and developing new products, whether that’s PPA offerings or expanded green energy options, and supporting customers through their sustainability journey.

The ambition is to move from being an energy supplier to being an energy partner that business customers rely on for advice, not just for contracts. That means building relationships around more than the energy supply agreement and tying customers into longer-term arrangements because we’re investing in them, they’re investing in our monitoring systems, and it becomes a genuine partnership.