20: ‘Utility Leadership During Unprecedented Crisis’ with Patti Poppe, CEO of Consumers Energy

As utilities looked to 2020, the changing landscape of power generation, energy policy, and consumer needs already promised to make the year one of unprecedented change. But as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have spread and put utility companies and their workers squarely on the frontline, it’s safe to say that the pace of adaptation and innovation has gone beyond anything imagined by those sitting in the C-suite. But unexpected developments are not an excuse to fall behind for utilities that serve such a foundational role in modern society, and so leaders have found themselves called upon by employees, customers, and government representatives alike to step up and navigate these unchartered waters. Patti Poppe, the CEO of Consumers Energy, found herself in that role of leading her company through the unknown, and on today’s episode of the Power Perspectives Podcast she shares some of her lessons learned. Through shifting her workforce to be as remote as possible to adapting new programs that could ensure quarantined customers still found ways to integrate energy efficiency to many late nights and early mornings planning out next steps and communicating the latest developments to her employees, all while keeping an optimistic attitude and positive outlook, Patti has demonstrated the type of leadership that should be recognized and replicated, both among peers in other utility companies and in industry more widely. You won’t want to miss this captivating conversation where Patti leads Jason Price and Matt Chester through a mile in her shoes in what it takes to navigate unprecedented crisis from the CEO’s (virtual) office. Key Links: Patti Poppe’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/257141 Consumers Energy’s Support for Small Business During COVID: https://www.consumersenergy.com/-/media/CE/Documents/news-and-information/small-biz-covid.pdf Big Picture Clean Energy Plan for Michigan: http://www.MICleanEnergyPlan.com Consumers Energy Providing 100,000 Google Nest Thermostats to Michigan Households During Pandemic: https://www.consumersenergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/2020/05/19/consumers-energy-providing-100k-google-nest-thermostats-to-michigan-households-during-pandemic Link to register as a member of the Energy Central community: https://energycentral.com/user/register Energy Central Post with Podcast Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-18-%E2%80%98utility-leadership-during