Her Story
About Amanda
I've been in the energy utility field for about 8 years and currently serve as Manager of Business Planning and Support at ComEd, where I work in the office of the CEO. I've been in this position for one year, previously serving as a workweek manager. In my current role, our office is responsible for managing strategic priorities throughout the business with ComEd and Exelon, and we also manage our KPI process. One of my most notable professional achievements is co-founding CAPE, an employee resource group for caregivers and parents. Through CAPE, we've driven a lot of great things in the organization for working parents and working moms specifically, connecting employees to different resources and hosting grief chats. The most notable achievement was influencing a policy change to incorporate bereavement when an employee would lose a child during pregnancy or adoption, which affected a lot of people. I've always been passionate about this industry, with some family having worked for the company. Energy is a part of our day-to-day life, and I love this corporation for what it stands for and how they support their people and their customers. Reliability and affordability are huge topics affecting everyone across the United States, so I've been very passionate about my career and this company specifically.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Amanda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I've had a lot of great, influential leaders that I've had the privilege to work alongside and mentor with, and they've really shaped my drive and my success. I've picked a lot of great qualities from a lot of different leaders, so I think just being surrounded by great people, influential leaders, and having the ability to grow my own network has been really a key to my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Not second-guessing myself has been probably one of the most important pieces of advice I've received. Especially in the energy industry, sitting at a table where oftentimes you're the only woman in the room, it can be intimidating, but leading with confidence, doing your research, and making sure that I voice my opinion and don't wait to be called on is critical. In order to stand out in this industry, you need to be confident and don't ever second guess yourself. Another good one was always take a seat at the table - don't wait to be offered, just take a seat at the table.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think it can be intimidating to be in a male-dominated industry, but leading with confidence is essential. Like I was once told, always take a seat at the table - don't wait for somebody to offer it to you. You need to be confident and not second guess yourself in order to stand out in this industry.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Affordability is top of mind as energy prices continue to rise due to supply issues. Customers struggle to pay their bills, and energy is a key necessity to life - it's no longer just an option. Trying to balance affordability with pushing for a more reliable grid are going to be continued areas of risk for our industry. As we have new customers like data centers coming on and connecting to our system, the next 10 years are going to be critical in balancing whether we have enough resources, whether our energy is affordable to our customers, and whether we are providing a reliable service as well.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being a mom, I think I tend to operate with empathy first. We all have different situations at home and different walks of life, so being an empathetic leader first and foremost is definitely something that I tend to lead with. Making sure that employees are heard and their opinions are valued is very, very important to me.
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