Q&A: Effie Vraka, country director at Easee UK

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In this month’s Q&A: Modern Fleet talks to Effie Vraka, country director at Easee UK about North Wales, gardening, cooking and the creative chaos of the EV industry

Favourite holiday destination?

North Wales, without hesitation! The beauty and variety of the natural surroundings make it perfect for any sort of outdoors activities and sports. And its public EV charging infrastructure is constantly getting better, which is a big plus for me.

What car do you drive?

I share a Tesla model S and a Renault Zoe with my husband. We swap daily according to our needs. We’re a double EV household!

How and when did you get into this industry?

About three years ago, after my maternity leave, I started thinking “what’s next?” I’ve been an EV driver for seven years now and, as a technologist myself, I’ve always been fascinated by the technology. I’m passionate about sustainability as well, so the EV charging sector seemed a natural choice.

How can we encourage more people into the industry?

There are so many useful and transferable skills from other sectors that we need to purposefully recruit outside of the industry. Bringing fresh eyes to the EV sector and increasing the diversity of experience should be a priority. We need to build a network with other sectors so that EV becomes mainstream.

What are your industry predictions for the next 12 months?

I think there will be a “creative chaos” – in the best possible way! I expect to see lots of ideas, start-ups, products, projects and collaborations popping up.

What is the strangest or most challenging job you have done?

In a previous role I was stuck in an environment with poor company culture. You just cannot ignore it, it affects every minute of your working, and often your personal life too. Working for Easee is the polar opposite of that.

If you had your time again, would you have followed the same career path?

I wouldn’t say that I exactly ‘followed a path’ – as that suggests one that has been set out for you. I think it’s important to make time for reflection, to question the direction you’re going in and create your own route when you need to. I am happy with my journey so far, but there are definitely still a lot more things I would like to experience in my career.

If you had been reincarnated, who or what do you think you were in a past life?

Judging by my slightly obsessive love for plants, I probably was one. If I had to choose one, I’d pick an oak tree.

If you could invite four people to a dinner party, living or dead, who would they be, and why?

Greta Thunberg, Elon Musk, Simon Sinek and Steve Jobs. Four people I admire for different reasons. I do believe that tech companies have the power to save our planet. But it takes happy, empowered people to create amazing technology. Between the four of them I reckon they could save the world!

What are your passions outside the workplace?

Gardening and growing my own food from seed. And cooking. I love experimenting in order to use my glut of veggies and without boring my family. Also keeping physically active – I think ancient Greeks got it right with ‘the first step to a healthy mind is a healthy body.’

If they made a film about your life who would play you?

Scarlett Johansson – because the film character always is better looking that the real-life one.

Describe yourself in five words?

Passionate. Persistent. Impatient. Risk-taker. Eternally optimistic.

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