What happens when the energy market around you begins to collapse?

In 2021–2022, an extraordinary energy crisis swept across the UK. Wholesale gas prices exploded. Household energy bills soared. Thirty energy suppliers collapsed.

And Monica Collings was sitting in the CEO's chair.

As CEO of challenger retailer So Energy, Monica had to navigate one of the most turbulent periods the energy industry had ever experienced—managing volatile wholesale markets, customer debt, regulators, government intervention, emergency board meetings and increasingly angry consumers. At its darkest moments, the hostility became personal, including social-media attacks and even death threats.

Yet So Energy survived.

In this compelling episode of The Energy Insider, Jack Doueck sits down with Monica Collins to explore what separates the companies—and leaders—that survive a crisis from those that don't.

What role did hedging, liquidity, governance and risk management play in determining which UK suppliers survived? Did the government's price cap protect consumers—or inadvertently help create the conditions that destroyed suppliers? And when markets become unstable, should regulators impose more restrictions—or focus instead on transparency and allow competitive markets to innovate?

Monica and Jack also compare the radically different structures of the UK and U.S. electricity markets, explore the growing problem of customer energy debt, and debate how regulators can protect vulnerable consumers without eliminating products and choices that may actually benefit them.

Today, Monica brings those lessons to some of the most important conversations shaping Britain's energy future, including her work advising on electricity-market design and the transition to net zero.

She also shares a lesson every executive should hear: the customer voice belongs in the boardroom. Understanding what customers are experiencing isn't simply a customer-service issue—it can fundamentally change corporate strategy.

And Monica explains why diversity in leadership isn't merely a social objective—it can be a competitive advantage, particularly when organizations are making difficult decisions under extreme pressure.

Recently honored with an OBE for her leadership and work advancing women in energy, Monica emerged from the crisis with lessons forged under circumstances few executives ever experience.

If your company suddenly faced a crisis tomorrow—would your balance sheet, your risk strategy, your board and your leadership team be ready?

This is a conversation about energy markets—but even more, it's about leadership when everything goes wrong.

You don’t want to miss it.