Our annual Women’s History Month blog series recognizes the exceptional women of Itron who are driving innovation, demonstrating leadership and paving the way for future generations of women. In the first blog of the series, we caught up with Jeanie Aday, technical training associate in the learning, documentation and innovation department, to learn more about her story and the insights she’s gathered along the way. For the second blog, we headed over to the Liberty Lake site to catch up with Tracy Troyer, senior program manager in Networked Solutions. 

In third blog of the series, we are excited to spotlight the director of services and delivery for the APAC region, located in Singapore, Caroline Flory! Keep reading for a glimpse into how she’s grown and evolved over the years at Itron. 

Q: What does an average work day look like for you? 

A: I have yet to encounter an average day in my nine months in this most recent role at Itron. One day I might be in a meeting with the CME workshopping the approach to our next advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) tender. The next, I could be with the APAC Services & Delivery leadership team putting together staffing and resourcing strategies to ensure that we are prepared to meet our revenue goals. I spend a lot of my time working closely with the project teams in the region to ensure they have the right support to work through challenges, so our customers are satisfied with the quality of our project delivery. The next day I might be collaborating with the team on ways to improve our utilization and drive out inefficiencies to get ahead of the growth areas and ensure our resources have development plans in place to meet the needs of the market. I enjoy how each day brings something different – this role certainly keeps me on my toes! 

Q: What do you enjoy most about your role? 

A: While there are a lot of aspects I love about this role, my favorite is coaching and leading teams to meet their potential. Whether it’s working with a junior project manager just starting out or a more senior technical resource looking to take on a new leadership role, helping people grow into what they want to do next brings me the most joy. I also really enjoy helping customers solve their problems. Itron has so many great solutions and great teams of service providers – working with CME and product teams to put together the right solution mix to meet the customer’s need and seeing the customer’s success at the end of the project will never get old. 

Q: How have you grown and evolved since beginning your position at Itron? 

A: I started my position at Itron as a program manager with Comverge, overseeing demand response programs. Over the years and with the Itron acquisition in 2017, I have been given the opportunity to grow the number of accounts I oversee, the scope of solutions I’m responsible for, the revenue accountability, the size of the team and the types of resources I lead, which have all changed drastically over the years. I’ve learned so much about when to listen and when to speak, conflict resolution, how to influence change, stakeholder engagement – and I still have so much to learn. My recent position change from overseeing the program teams for our investor-owned utilities in the Southeast/Mid-Atlantic to the APAC role has given me the biggest growth opportunity in my career in over a decade. Learning the business cultures, human resource laws, employee expectations, travel rules and holiday calendars of 7+ countries is no joke!  

Q: Can you share about a role model who has inspired you and influenced your career? 

A: Early in my career I worked on a few projects with an IT project lead who was very influential in my time as a consultant at Duke Energy. She worked for another consulting firm but still took time to coach and mentor me and shaped me into much of who I am as a professional. So much of how I interact with customers and my team can be traced back to what she taught me. She was one of the first in my career to encourage me to speak up and have a powerful voice when I felt strongly about a decision or the direction of a project. We still see each other a few times a year and I always call her when I have a tough call to make or when I’m considering a new role. Without her influence in my life, I’m not sure that my career would have taken the path that it did, and I am grateful for her friendship and guidance.  

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give other women and girls who are looking to excel in the utility industry? 

A: You work in an industry where, today, women are still in the minority. I have learned so much from the village of women who support me in my career, not only from those ahead of me, but also from my peers and those who are seeking my advice and mentorship. Having a well-rounded village gives you two benefits: you gain different perspectives from women in different stages of their life and career, and you contribute to building a pipeline of strong women leaders in the utility and energy industry. The time you take to be mentored and to mentor will add more value to your career than you can imagine. We have different experiences and face different challenges than our male colleagues; having a village of successful women gives you a space to explore what makes you uniquely powerful.