Business Analyst
I’m Mick Slowey, a Business Analyst in the Operations team, and I’ve been with Evolve for three years. My role is all about understanding business needs and turning them into clear, actionable solutions. I spend my days analysing requirements, creating specification documents, and working with teams to conceptualise and create new systems, tools and processes.
I began as a developer in Manufacturing, became a Solutions Architect in Telecoms, and later moved into Energy.
My day kicks off with making sure the MI Dashboards are up and running, ready to be published. From there, no two days are ever the same. One day, I might be working on an industry project like Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement, creating User Stories or developing Test Plans. The next, I could be deep in building reports or testing new software in a proof-of-concept.
Collaboration is key to what I do, and I find that face-to-face discussions—especially when workshopping new ideas—are the most effective. When it comes to tools, I rely on various in-house developed and industry standard systems for rapid data modeling and business process mapping. And sometimes, nothing beats a good old-fashioned pencil and paper for brainstorming new ideas!
Hobbies and Interests: I'm an amateur chef and baker, an avid reader of modern fiction, and a quiz enthusiast who has appeared on several TV shows.
Fun Fact: The TV Times once called me “buccaneering”. I like to think that’s true!
Developing solutions is at the core of my role, but the real reward comes when those solutions are deployed, and start being used daily by the team. It’s always great to see something I’ve worked on make a tangible impact. My job is all about solving puzzles and turning challenges into solutions. My approach is to step back and look at the bigger picture as it’s often the hidden problems that need to be solved before a solution can truly succeed.
One of my proudest moments at Evolve was launching our in-house-developed live and closing market price software. I was involved from the very beginning—working with Market Information companies, testing APIs, developing functional specifications, guiding the development process, and even conducting system testing. Seeing it come to life was a huge achievement for me and a testament to the power of teamwork and innovation.
Looking ahead, my goal is to grow into a continuous improvement evangelist within Evolve. I’m passionate about helping the business to continually refine its processes to be as efficient and effective as possible. For Evolve, I’m excited to implement more new ways to automate tasks and optimise operations which will allow us to continue driving the business forward.
My advice for someone new to the industry is if in doubt, ask questions, ask questions, ask questions! There’s a mountain of knowledge held by your colleagues.
My personal philosophy can be summed up in a quote from William James: “Truth is what works.” I’m a pragmatist at heart, always focused on taking ideas and developing practical, actionable solutions.
My motto? Be on Team GSD—Get Stuff Done!
