Leadership Lyceum Podcast: Avangrid and Utility Industry Leadership in the Era of Innovation
Thomas Linquist is founder of The Leadership Lyceum and Managing Partner of Lyceum Leadership Consulting. He focuses on senior level search assignments including CEO and board of director roles within the power, utility and infrastructure sectors. Linquist has twenty-six years of industry and consulting experience, and more than ten years of experience at three of the top five global executive search firms. See the complete body of leadership podcasts, interviews, and articles at www.LeadershipLyceum.com He can be reached at thomas.linquist@LeadershipLyceum.com.
I caught up with Jim Torgerson, CEO of Avangrid, at the 2017 EEI Convention in Boston back in June.
Avangrid is a diversified energy and utility company with more than $31 billion in assets and operations in 27 states. Avangrid has eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.2 million customers in New York and New England.
Previously known as Iberdrola USA, in 2015 its name changed to Avangrid when it merged with UIL Holdings (parent of The United Illuminating Company and other Connecticut and Massachusetts based utilities). Avangrid is a subsidiary of Iberdrola SA of Spain, one of the world's largest utilities.
Jim and I discussed Avangrid's evolution since the merger. Jim provided insight into how technology and innovation have created a magnified volatility and opportunity in the utility industry requiring a forward-thinking approach to "stay ahead of the curve".
Tom Linquist: You've gone through some interesting changes over the last several years at UIL. It appeared Iberdrola had owned some assets they ended up selling to you. Then they bought the whole company back from you, in 2015.