Women in Energy - Sophie Wolstenholme

“The best parts of working in energy is the people, the purpose and the problem-solving.”

 – Sophie Wolstenholme, Product Owner - Managed Install Electrification & Innovation, AGL.

I’m helping people electrify their homes

My role is focused on helping Australian households access solar and batteries. Sitting within AGL’s Electrification & Innovation business, my work is closely connected to the practical steps customers can take to electrify their homes and help reduce their energy bills.

The people, the purpose and the problem-solving

For me, the best parts of working in energy is the people, the purpose and the problem-solving. 

Everyone I work with is driven and genuinely passionate about what we’re building. That shared commitment is matched by a sense of purpose. Sustainability has always mattered to me, and being part of a company playing a role in the energy transition gives my work meaning.

I also enjoy the challenge of designing products that solve real problems for real customers and being able to see the impact of that work in a tangible way.

My path into energy wasn’t a straight line

My journey into energy began with a chemical and biomolecular engineering degree, followed by my first role as a graduate engineer at a wastewater treatment facility. It was a hands-on introduction to essential services, process operations and safety. This helped shape my appreciation for the systems people rely on every day. 

While many of my university peers followed a more traditional technical engineering path, I found myself drawn to roles that combined technical problem-solving with people-focused work. I moved into business process optimisation and projects, building skills that allowed me to keep solving practical, real-world problems while working across teams and stakeholders.

When a role came up at an automotive and clean energy company, it offered the chance to work in a field aligned with my interest in sustainability and the environment. There, I worked on solar and battery projects across commercial, industrial and residential settings, including a social housing program in South Australia.

That program left a strong impression on me because it connected the energy transition with accessibility, helping social housing tenants benefit from renewable energy and supported greater use of distributed energy resources.

My work at that company also took me to Germany for a year and a half, where I worked on implementing an energy management system to track and optimise electrical consumption across a car manufacturing plant.  

After taking a career break to travel, I returned to Australia knowing I wanted to stay in energy. The project management, commercial operations and customer-focused skills I had developed translated naturally into product ownership, which ultimately lead me to AGL.

The industry is changing quickly, and that’s what makes it exciting

There's been a monumental shift in how the global and Australian energy industries have adapted to decarbonisation. I know in another 5-10 years it'll look completely different again. That's exciting, especially with all the new technology and the calibre of people working in this space.

I also love the scale of it. Energy is something everyone uses every single day and needs, and AGL has such broad reach across the Australian market I feel like I can genuinely have an impact. 

Take every opportunity to learn from other women in the industry

My advice to women considering a career in energy is to seek out companies they believe in, and managers who will support and elevate them.

Recognise the value of transferable skills. Energy needs problem-solvers from many different backgrounds, whether that is STEM, communications, finance or something else entirely. While I do not use my engineering degree in the way I once expected, it gave me a strong foundation for understanding systems, fixing problems and approaching complexity with confidence.

Most importantly, I would say take every opportunity to meet and learn from other women in the industry. Having that support network makes a real difference.