There is a general view that it is essential for engineers to understand all the changes that are occurring across the electric energy area (be they technical, market, management or customer-driven) and adjust their knowledge, their attitude and their overall approach to their role in order to be successful in this new business environment.
This webinar is about why engineers need to build their capacity to cope with these changing times. This capability is about the skills for the future, and in particular – leadership.
These skills for the future are generally seen to be:
- Personal attributes and non-technical skills such as leadership, interpersonal skills including strong written and verbal communication, etc
- Increased understanding of commercial and business fundamentals, project management, etc
- Improved technical skills & understanding of new as well as emerging technologies
- Work readiness – the ability to transition to the new roles that new technology or the many other changes are bringing to businesses in the electric energy area.
Thus with all these changes that are occurring, engineers at all levels in their organisation need to show leadership to ensure successful change in their area of expertise or responsibility.
Thus the question emerges – what is leadership – and what do engineers need to do to successfully lead and manage the changes that are occurring in their area of interest within an organisation?
Engineers may find themselves in a leadership role given their technical expertise – and to understand how they should act to gain the best result from the collective members of the team (often allocated to the task from various groups across the company) and to achieve the best outcome for the organisation overall – is another personal challenge and often a great opportunity for engineers in the ever-changing electric energy area.
Jeff Allen will provide practical insights for engineers as to “what is leadership?”
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jeff Allen, President of the Electric Energy Society of Australia
Jeff has held many management and senior executive/leadership positions in his career. These positions include:
- General Manager Network Services, General Manager Network, Director Engineering Services, Manager Network Development and Manager System Operations at Prospect Electricity
- Managing Director/CEO, GM Networks and GM Network Services at Endeavour (previously Integral) Energy.
- CEO of Energy Auctions (now Energy Action Ltd) – energy procurement and energy advisory services
- CEO of AK Power Solutions (now part of Insulect) – Power System Equipment Manufacturer and Supplier
- Director Client Services for EMS Solutions – Asset and Works Management IT solutions
- Managing Director J N Allen & Associates providing consulting services in Australia and New Zealand in the areas of network regulatory and pricing submissions, best practice asset management, engineering consulting, business process re-engineering, procurement best practice and culture change management.
Jeff has also held a number of board positions with various companies as well as and electric energy industry committee positions for varying periods over the past 25 years.
Whilst at Prospect Electricity/Integral Energy, Jeff personally lead a major company-wide business improvement and change management program that started in the early 1990s. These change-management initiatives resulted in Prospect Electricity winning an Australian Business Excellence award in 1995 and Integral Energy (formed from the merger of Prospect Electricity and Illawarra Electricity in 1996) winning a gold business excellence award in 1998 for sustained business excellence.
Jeff has a good practical understanding of what makes a good leader and how leaders can successfully manage change at all levels in an organisation.
