Women Rising

TEN LEADERS IN A MALE WORLD

Published In: EnergyBiz Magazine March/April 2011

THE TOP WOMEN EXECUTIVES AT ENERGY COMPANIES ARE eager to count the reasons they love their jobs.

They're bringing to the public an essential product - energy, and that feels good, they say. What's more, the industry is constantly changing, so no two days on the job are alike. With each new problem solved, a new one arises. And when these women plan and execute a project - a power plant, for example - they're thrilled when they see the results of their hard work.

"I love being in this industry today," says Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power. "It's like solving a giant puzzle. You have to look at the environmental issues and the changes we have to make from a technological perspective, and have to balance that with cost."

Adds Audrey Zibelman, president and CEO, Viridity Energy, "I love the intellectual complexity. You're always dealing with new issues. You're dealing with very complex decisions that can positively affect a lot of people."

To address complex problems, the top executives - who have math, theater, journalism, law, public policy and engineering backgrounds - have brought to the industry traditional female qualities, they say. Chief among them are people skills, which they often use to draw different stakeholders together and strike compromises about power plant siting, transmission line projects and other controversial issues.

These executives also say that as females, they work well in teams and know how to communicate about technical issues with their customers and the public.

Says Mark Crisson, CEO of the American Public Power Association, "Not to stereotype all women, but the ones I'm dealing with are very good listeners, and they tend be very good at relationships. They'll bring different perspectives to things." What's more, women often see problems in terms of people, and take personalities into account when they propose solutions, he says.

Ann D. Murtlow, president and CEO, Indianapolis Power & Light, a former engineer, says she enjoys the business because it allows her to interact with a lot of people. "I believe in consistent and frequent communication whenever I can get it." She likes to ride around with linemen because it helps her understand the business from their perspective, she says.

However, for these women, it wasn't always easy making their way into positions that allowed them to take advantage of these female traits in a male-dominated industry.

"Being a woman is not without its challenges," says Susan Tomasky, president of AEP Transmission, who first became interested in the industry as a congressional intern during the oil embargos of the 1970s, and worked as an attorney specializing in energy during the 1990s.

"When you enter a big organization that's all engineers, establishing credibility becomes a challenge," she says.

Maude Grantham-Richards, electric utility director for Farmington Electric Utility System, says she had to prove that she didn't get her job simply because she was a minority who was granted a "freebee," she says.

Perry, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, says that in the early years, she had to develop a thick skin and find ways to boost her confidence in the male-dominated world.

Like Perry, many of these top executives have been in the energy industry for 20 years or more. They can now speak with confidence and pride about their contributions. So do others in the industry.

Phyllis Currie, general manager of Pasadena Water and Power, is proud of the utility's goal of providing 40 percent of the company's power with renewable energy by 2020. That's even higher than the state of California's ambitious goal of 33 percent renewable energy. "I think my contribution really has been to foster a willingness to address environmental impacts, to work in collaboration with my colleagues here in California and as part of APPA to create initiatives that help make a change," she says.

Martha Wyrsch, president of Vestas American Wind Technology, says her contribution is communicating to the general public the benefits of the wind industry. "I think the wind industry is a bit unique in that it is a new form of energy. It is becoming better understood and adopted, yet not fully understood," she says.

Wyrsch has played a key role in better informing the public, says Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. "As one of America's leading woman executives, Martha has an invaluable gift for communication that allows her to convey the wind industry's compelling message."

Tomasky says her gift to the industry is attempting to ensure that public policy addresses development in an environmentally sound manner.

"When I entered this business, my goal was to make sure we did a better job of making sure public policy appropriately complements reasonable and responsible energy development," she says.

While some female executives say they're helping change the industry, others see themselves as setting an example.

Cynthia Warner, president and chairman of Sapphire Energy, says she's demonstrated to the public the importance of embracing the transition to clean energy. "I'm the most senior energy executive to go from Big Oil to renewables," she says. "I'm setting an example about what the future is about. Change is in the wind." A chemical engineer by training, Warner served as an executive with British Petroleum and with Amoco Oil Company before joining Sapphire, which produces green crude oil from algae.

Similarly, Patricia Vincent-Collawn, president and CEO of PNM Resources - a journalism major in college - says she's also setting an example. "I've shown you don't have to have a technical background to succeed in this industry," she says.

When these women look to the future, they see the need for big changes. The most pressing challenge the industry faces, many say, will be coping with the cost of new environmental regulations and integrating green resources into the grid.

Says Maria Pope, CFO of Portland General Electric, "Our biggest challenge is absorbing the financial impact of dealing with environmental issues and an aging infrastructure and balancing this against the need for reasonably priced power."

Although difficult, the task will also be fun and engaging, the top executives say. And that's why they're in this industry to stay.

"I love my job. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do," says Grantham-Richards. "This is a field you want to stay in. Every day I learn something new."