ceo + interview

Meet Tom King Company name: National Grid

corporate headquarters:
President, National Grid U.S. UK with U.S. Headquarters in Massachusetts

website: www.nationalgrid.com

N
ational Grid’s President in people of diverse backgrounds to Primary business:
the U.S. Tom King views introduce new approaches and ideas. International electricity and gas company.
Inclusion & Diversity as a It means fostering an environment 2009/10 Revenues: $22,101 million
business asset in driving innovation. that is welcoming, where people
Employees: 28,000
can collaborate and come up with (about 63% work in the U.S.)
How does National Grid’s Inclusion creative and innovative approaches
& Diversity strategy contribute to to business challenges. In the energy
shareholder value? sector, we critically need talented the power of diversity in action
THE ability to attract and retain people who can think outside the through the solutions developed by
talent is critical in helping to main- box in order to find new energy solu- employees to make our workplace
tain a competitive business edge that tions. Annually, National Grid pres- a safer, more inclusive, customer-
will set us apart as an employer of ents the Chairman’s Award in several focused and community-minded
choice. I am not just talking about categories. One of them focuses on organization. Many of the projects
hiring and promoting people – hav- Diversity. However, when you look can be monetized in terms of cost
ing an inclusive corporate culture at the cross section of the programs savings, enhanced safety protocols,
means providing an opportunity for and teams nominated you can see branding and improved efficiency.

20 P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0

The energy industry is facing some
major talent challenges in the next 10
years. How is National Grid addressing
these workforce Diversity challenges?
The industry as a whole is facing
a major challenge because more than
60% of the workforce will be retire-
ment eligible over the next ten years.
At National Grid, we are facing simi-
lar challenges. This is why we have
made a commitment to assess our
needs and create programs that will
enable us to address those challenges.
In particular, the Inclusion &
Diversity team has put in place part-
nerships with professional develop-
ment associations like the American
Indians in Sciences and Engineering
Society, Ascend (Asian Professionals
Association), American Association
of Blacks in Energy, the Asian MBAs
and National Society of Hispanic
MBAs, and others in order to edu-
cate people about career opportu-
nities in the energy utilities sector.
While we provide an essential service
to people on a daily basis we know
we are not the industry that many
people automatically think about,
so we need to build brand awareness
about the careers and opportunities
in the utilities sector.
The other major factor impacting
us is that other countries outside
of the U.S. and U.K. are grow-
ing talented engineers, researchers,
environmentalists and scientists at
a faster rate. So we have established
internship programs to grow our
talent base. We are also working to
encourage young people to pursue
careers through our Engineering Our
Future program and partnering with
some professional associations as
well as non-profits to support math
and science initiatives.
There are many talented people in
the marketplace and we just have to
Asian Leadership Group Links Learning With Tradition
“W e believe that our objectives as a group must support and complement National
Grid’s business objectives,” states Cindy Chiu, manager of the Staten Island,
NY, Customer Marketing Group and Asian Leadership Group chairperson. “Our mem-
bers work within the company, developing their business skills and industry knowledge,
and in the community, where they support local business skills and charitable and
environmental initiatives.”
Formed in 2004, the group now includes 150 active members from many parts of
Asia. Together, they hold internal speaker events to learn more about the company,
sponsor smaller learning forums and network with similar organizations in companies
including General Electric, Ernst & Young and IBM. In the community, members teach
Junior Achievement classes, sponsor Earth Day celebrations and volunteer with the
United Way.
Blending cultural understanding with learning about National Grid and energy
conservation is something the group enjoys. “For the fourth consecutive summer, a
National Grid team has participated in the annual New York Dragon Boat Festival and
this year National Grid signed on as a boat sponsor,” explains Wen Wen, leader of the
company’s Dragon Boat effort and a senior analyst in Energy Accounting.
During the two-day festival attended by more than 50,000 visitors, the first day is for
race sponsors to share information about their organizations with the Asian community.
This year, more than 1,000 attendees stopped at the National Grid exhibit booth.
Day two is reserved for the excitement of the Dragon Boat races. National Grid
Dragon Storm participated in four different races – regular mixed 250 meters and 500
meters, the sponsor race and the corporate race – placing second in the preliminary
round of the regular mixed 250 meters. In this competition class, there may be a maxi-
mum of 12 rowers and one drummer in each boat.
“It was a great way to bond as National Grid employees and as members of the
broader Asian community,” Wen said.
get more creative in attracting them and minorities. It’s an issue right now
to our industry. A big part of that and one that will not only impact
is educating people about the kinds our company in the near future, but
of opportunities and difference they which is already impacting the entire
can make as individuals. Ultimately, energy sector and our country’s abil-
without a corporate culture that is ity to compete in the global business
inclusive and embedded in every- space. That’s why we are investing in
thing we do, from our business deci- programs and partnerships focused
sion processes to our community on workforce development.
relations activities, we will not be By providing role models to
able to retain the talent we attract. young people through our volun-
teer efforts and employee resource
What is your biggest concern group outreach, supporting summer
about the future talent needed science camps, and awarding schol-
at National Grid? arships and internships, we hope
THE biggest challenge we face is to encourage middle school, high
that there are not enough young peo- school and college students to not
ple pursuing math, hard science and only get excited about math and
engineering studies. The gap is even science careers, but also to stay in
more pronounced among women school and get their degrees.
P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0 21
Tom King | National Grid
How would you assess
National Grid’s progress in its
diversity initiatives at this point?
We’ve done well in some areas.
The number of women in senior
leadership roles, the extent and
success of our Employee Resource
Groups (ERGs), and our supplier
diversity programs are three areas
where I feel we are making progress
at National Grid. I am particularly
proud of our Veteran, Asian and
Pride (LGBT) employee resource
groups who have done a great job
of helping us connect with exter-
nal events/programs to increase
awareness about opportunities. Our
Women in Networks group and
Alliance of Black Professionals as
well as NewNet ERGs have intro-
duced mentoring and professional
development programs internally.
But I don’t feel we are moving
fast enough. In particular, we have
not moved the needle much in
increasing the number of people of
color – both male and female – in
our middle and senior ranks, and
that continues to be an area of focus
for our diversity initiatives. We have
established a number of professional
association partnerships, thanks to
our ERGs, to try to tap new sources
of talent. But from time-to-time, I
have to remind myself that this is a
journey and our goal is to make sure
that we provide an opportunity for
people to grow and develop across
the board, whether it be through a is a topic of business discussion that in place new systems like a global exit
promotion or a lateral opportunity starts with our external board of direc- interview process or a global talent
into another line of business.
What are the unique
challenges of addressing
diversity in your organization?
There is a very strong global coming out of a merger, we are work- How do you feel you are doing?
commitment in place to have a diverse ing through integrating some of our
and inclusive corporate culture. I&D systems. In some cases, we are putting for me. There is a misconception
22 P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l
Hudson Valley Community College Program Helps Build
Tomorrow’s Workforce
Grid and Hudson Valley
Community College, the
C
reated in 2007 by National
Overhead Electric Line Worker
Certificate program is the first
State University of New York-
approved Overhead Electric
Line Worker Certificate pro-
gram designed to fill workforce
needs, supporting National
Grid’s Engineering Our Future
initiative.
A student gets hands-on experience working on utility poles
“The Hudson Valley Com-
and transformers in the Hudson Valley Community College
munity College Overhead
laboratory. National Grid provided and installed a series of
Electric Line Worker Program
utility poles and transformers in the Hudson Valley Community
provides exceptional training College laboratory.
to the community with unique
employment opportunities, The college’s new Overhead Our Future” initiative to grow
while at the same time, helping Electric Line Worker Labora- and develop talent by support-
National Grid and other utilities tory in Williams Hall provides ing comprehensive learning
develop a well-educated future students with hands-on experi- programs.
workforce through the Engi- ence. National Grid provided Eight National Grid em-
neering Our Future initiative,” and installed a series of utility ployees helped create the
said Tom King, President of poles and transformers in the Overhead Electric Line Worker
National Grid in the U.S. laboratory which are wired Certificate program. They were
The HVCC program consists together to simulate an actual recognized earlier this year
of new and existing courses in job site. with National Grid’s Chairman’s
the electrical Construction and In the first two years of Awards, the company’s highest
Maintenance A.O.S. degree the program, 15 graduates recognition for outstanding
program. These include elec- have been hired directly into efforts and achievements.
tricity, technical math, electrical National Grid’s overhead line “The program has been
wiring and industry-specific department and several other the model for similar training
electric power. The program graduates have been hired into that is now being offered in
is offered through the college’s other parts of the company. community colleges throughout
School of Engineering and The HVCC effort is part of National Grid’s upstate New
Industrial Technologies. National Grid’s “Engineering York market area,” King added.
tors and our internal board. However, management system.
our global organization is made up of
various smaller companies that have National Grid has been strengthening
been brought together under one its ability to work with minority-
roof. So like other major companies and women-owned businesses.
THIS is an area of real passion
N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0

that using minority and women
suppliers is not necessarily the most
cost-effective solution. But the truth
is that a diverse supply chain gives
us more flexibility and allows us
to build stronger relationships in
the communities where we oper-
ate. By working with minority- and
women-owned businesses, we have
an opportunity to have an eco-
nomic impact that we wouldn’t be
able to make somewhere else. Our
global head of procurement and the
supplier diversity director are both
making a difference.
National Grid has been recognized
for its diversity efforts by a number
of organizations over the course of
the last two years.What are you
most proud of?
THE external recognition is a
good sign that we are moving in the
right direction, but I like to look at
the bottom line. I tend to look at
how we are doing on the Inclusion
& Diversity factors of the Employee
Opinion Survey. What impact are
we having on the diversity scorecard
measures related to recruiting, pro-
motions and turnover?
The numbers tell me we have
some work to do, which is why we
created a Vice President of Inclusion
& Diversity position. We needed
someone to help us build a foun-
dation for increasing collaboration
and challenge policies, practices and
processes to help us to become an
employer of choice.
Over the course of the last two
years, I have seen cross-collaboration
growing internally and externally
thanks to the ERGs. For instance,
our Pride employee resource group
has formed an Energy Sector
LGBT Roundtable that includes
12 energy sector utilities and com-
Professional Development Key Focus of Women’s
Resource Group
W ith more than 800 members, National Grid’s Women in Network resource group
plays a key role in the professional development of the company’s women employ-
ees. Daria Liston, one of the group’s three Steering Committee members, talks about the
group’s impact. “We have young women coming to us from high school and college, women
professionals in non-traditional roles such as engineering and field work, and experienced
women looking to further their careers. Each person needs something a bit different to help
them succeed and that’s where we play a role.” Daria is National Grid’s regulatory manager
for electrical operations.
Programs offered to members and non-members alike include an “Executive Event”
featuring senior company executives providing insights into their parts of the organization.
“Lunch-and-Learn” sessions, a newsletter and a new mentor matching program create an
environment for women of all levels to improve their leadership skills.
Women Empowered
Women Empowered (WE) is a cornerstone offering, now in its fifth year. Sharareh (Che-
rie) Goldsmith, Manager of Information and Records Management, manages this program
for the Women in Network employee resource group. “In the past five years, the Women
Empowered Committee has presented nine WE programs consisting of six to seven ses-
sions, each targeted to a specific topic,” she explains. The sessions, each with a capacity of
50 students, include networking, mentoring and emotional intelligence; communicating with
confidence; conflict management; achieving work-life balance; change management; and
managing teams.
Program materials are developed, facilitated and administered within the company. At
the completion of each WE program, participants are surveyed for evaluation and feedback.
Committee members review results and adjust session materials to reflect current business
or developmental needs of the audience served.
Women Empowered is targeted at entry- and middle-level managers. So far, more than
420 women have graduated from the WE program.
“We are also beginning to offer mini-sessions that are open to all employees,” Goldsmith
says. “These are aimed at single topics that can be covered in just an hour or two. We also
work to equip participants with the knowledge they need to discover more information about
each topic.”
panies who share best practices have more than 30 years, and par-
on professional development, sup- ticipate in the learning sessions.
plier diversity and other topics.
Internally, the Alliance for Black Looking ahead, what is your vision
Professionals has, for the second for National Grid’s diversity journey?
year in a row, secured the par- During a really bad winter
ticipation of more than 50 senior storm, like the nor’easter that hit us
leaders who for one day are each in 2009 in New England, there were
focused on mentoring five to six thousands of customers who lost
people. Similarly, the NewNet power. It was an all hands on deck
ERG, which focuses on helping situation. Job titles didn’t matter,
to onboard new employees, works the line of business you were from
with other ERGs to get the word didn’t matter, and seniority didn’t
out about their events. Employees matter. What mattered was work-
with less than 10 weeks in the ing together to implement solutions
company work with those who that would help us get the power
P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0 23
Tom King | National Grid
back to our customers. We have a
pretty amazing group of dedicated
professionals. If I could capture that
same level of passion and commit-
ment in driving our diversity efforts
forward we would be a pretty amaz-
ing organization.
While we are moving in the right
direction, I would like to see great-
er progress and representation of
women and people of color in the
middle and senior levels.
The two major challenges our
company is facing include the reten-
tion of talent and the attraction of
diverse talent interested in a career
in the energy sector.
We are at a major crossroad in
the energy industry as we focus our
attention on supplying the world’s
growing energy needs while protect-
ing our fragile environment.
So we need people who have a
diverse slate of talents, skills, knowl-
edge, and thinking styles to help us
address this challenge. My hope is
that by having teams in place that
reflect a wide breadth of diversity we
will be able to develop new creative
solutions to address our energy needs.
Developing the Workforce
of the Future
National Grid is committed to
focusing a significant portion of its
community investment on building
a qualified and successful engineering
workforce. Through the company’s
corporate giving programs, employee
volunteerism and internal leader-
ship and development activities, the
utility has created a comprehensive
program dedicated to targeting stu-
dents of all ages and backgrounds
to encourage them to study science,
technology, engineering and math,
collectively known as STEM.
“National Grid’s broad approach
24 P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l
Alliance of Black Professionals Highlights Development For
National Grid Employees and Young Students Alike
N ational Grid’s Alliance of Black Professionals (ABP) is the company’s oldest Employee Re-
source Group, tracing its beginnings to 1999. “Our key focus is to point out and provide pro-
fessional development opportunities for our members and other interested employees,” explains
ABP chairman and Manager, Maps & Records, Michael Amadi.
Internal workshops around developmental topics help employees explore avenues to their
professional growth. Monthly meetings feature speakers on corporate topics from electricity
transmission to finance and provide networking opportunities throughout the company. “One of our
most popular offerings is our Executive Connection Day held each November,” Amadi continues.
Executives and employees register to spend time in conversation, sharing the details and impacts
of their roles in the company. Another opportunity during the day is for employees to help execu-
tives delve into specific business cases the executives are grappling with.
But that’s only half of ABP’s objectives. Renee McClure, Community Investment representative
for National Grid and a member of the New York chapter of the American Association of Blacks
in Engineering (AABE), works to coordinate the company’s efforts in corporate citizenship. “We
strongly support Junior Achievement in the New York metropolitan area.” Working one day a
week for eight weeks in elementary and middle school classrooms, company volunteers teach
‘economics for success.’ Class members are introduced to life skills subjects including budgeting,
insurance and work life, while stressing the importance of education.
Partnering with AABE’s New York chapter and The Polytechnic Institute of New York Univer-
sity (NYU-Poly), National Grid’s ABP also participates in a “summer energy academy” for middle
school students from the surrounding areas. “We’re very grateful to NYU-Poly for this partner-
ship,” McClure says. “It’s a great place to bring these students together for their full-day sessions
over the six-week course.”
The academic exposure program shows how science and math are used to deliver energy
locally, nationally and globally, and the impact of energy policies on technological growth. Both the
ABP and AABE provide speakers for these classes so that students can meet and talk with people
who work with math and science every day. As well, field trips, such as a trip to National Grid’s
Gas Dispatch Operations, illustrates the complexity of getting gas-related services addressed,
from installations to emergencies. “We’re a very active organization,” ABP chair Amadi states. “We
really believe that National Grid’s sponsorship of our organization has had some profound positive
effects on our employees and our community.”
to community involvement focuses retiring employees, National Grid is
on three themes – energy and the creating and investing in the future.
environment, education and skills, That means helping to improve
and community development,” education, which is critical to devel-
Loretta Smith, National Grid U.S., oping the future work force.
Director of Citizenship, explains. National Grid has a number of
“We have invested more than $3 programs, including its signature ini-
million in many community-based tiative, “Engineering Our Future,” to
projects, funding research centers inspire, attract and develop aspiring
to support new and exciting tech- young engineers, and the Bentley
nologies, and partnering with orga- Project to tap MBA talent and give
nizations that provide programs to them hands-on corporate experi-
educate teachers as well as students ence. The company is also work-
in the STEM curriculum.” ing with community colleges in
To help fill skilled positions left by Buffalo, Syracuse and New York’s
N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0

Capital Region to train overhead line
workers. The company’s Graduate
Internship program gives young pro-
fessionals real world experience.
National Grid has other programs
designed to help students and teach-
ers from elementary to college. Here
are a few examples:
Elementary through high school
• Energy Explorer – a National
Grid interactive Web site with edu-
cational materials for use in class-
rooms that focus on building sci-
ence, technology, engineering and
math skills and aim to enhance
energy efficiency awareness among
teachers and students.
• Boston Children’s Museum,
“Our Green Trail” – an energy-
efficiency education program
designed to teach children and their
families how to mitigate the effects
of climate change and take positive
steps toward living environmental-
minded lives.
• Green Education Foundation
“Green Energy Challenge” – more
than 30,000 students from 70 schools
in National Grid’s service area will
conduct energy audits around their
schools and homes to locate and
correct energy leaks in an effort to
reduce energy costs by five percent by
Earth Day, April 22, 2011.
• NYU-Poly – as a “PolyPartner”
National Grid provides mentoring
and educational opportunities for
talented middle and high school
students in science, engineering and
mathematics beyond those regularly
available in courses and laboratories
at students’ schools.
• University of Buffalo – National
Grid is expanding the university’s
award-winning BEAM (Buffalo-
area Engineering Awareness for
Minorities) program with a new, five-
year program aimed at introducing
Making a Difference: City Year
D id you know that every
26 seconds a student
drops out of school in the
U.S.? And every year, up to
25,000 children in the UK
drop out of school at the age
of 14?
Research has shown
that high school dropouts
are three times more likely
than college graduates to be
unemployed and are eight
times more likely to be in jail
or prison than high school
graduates. The more than
12 million students projected
to drop out over the next
decade will cost the nation
$3 trillion.
To address the startling
drop out rate statistic, Na-
tional Grid donated $750,000
to City Year’s Whole School,
Whole Child program, which
is specifically designed to
close the achievement gap
and build the graduation
pipeline. And the program
became National Grid’s first
global community initiative
when National Grid helped
City Year get off the ground
in the UK in September.
“While National Grid has
been a City Year partner for
about 10 years, we have
increased our involvement
to become the Northeast
regional sponsor of Whole
School, Whole Child, which
is specifically designed to
help keep students in school
and on track to graduate,”
explains Loretta Smith,
National Grid U.S. Director
of Corporate Citizenship.
“We are excited to work with
City Year, a global organiza-
tion, to keep as many kids in
school as possible.”
P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l
Tom King (second from left) receives his own distinc-
tive City Year jacket at the Boston check presentation
ceremony with City Year corps members from Massachu-
settes, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New York.
“City Year is about the Massachusetts, New Hamp-
power of young people to shire, Rhode Island and New
address one of our na- York,” Smith added.
tion’s biggest problems, the City Year’s Whole School,
high school dropout crisis, Whole Child program focus-
through full-time service es on positive interventions
as tutors, mentors and for underserved students
role models to children,” and addresses three key in-
said City Year CEO and dicators for students most at
Co-Founder Michael Brown. risk for dropping out – poor
“We are honored to have attendance, unsatisfactory
National Grid as a partner, behavior and course failure
and grateful that they are in Math and English.
helping us power our effort As a result of National
to keep students on track to Grid’s donation, the com-
graduation and life success.” pany will help provide:
City Year is a national • Financial resources
organization that engages to sponsor more than 200
young people of all back- corps members in New
grounds who pledge to England and New York who
serve full-time as “corps help improve attendance,
members” for a year to behavior and course per-
serve children in communi- formance at the elementary
ties across 19 states. During and secondary levels;
their tenure with City Year, • Numerous volunteer op-
corps members provide portunities for National Grid
1,700 hours of service to employees, where they can
improve student attendance, engage in the communities
behavior and coursework. served by National Grid and
“As the northeast regional work with City Year corps
sponsor of this important members to improve educa-
program, we will be cover- tion; and
ing funding for the Whole • Sponsorships for sev-
School, Whole Child pro- eral special events focused
gram in our service areas of on community service.
N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0 25
Tom King | National Grid

Buffalo Public School students in

grades 6-12 to careers in biomedical
and green energy industries.
• Hofstra University summer
science green research project –
a six-week workshop designed to
focus high school students on envi-
ronmental issues and awareness.
Colleges and universities
National Grid is actively work-
ing with a number of colleges and
universities around its service area
to invest in engineers and sup-
port the company’s development Graduate students get the opportunity to tackle real projects that provide hands on
experiences. Left to right: Meghan Haigh (University of Michigan - Tauber Team intern)
and recruitment efforts. Examples Jitesh Bhatia (Bentley University intern) Pooja Mathur (Bentley University intern) Chelsea
include: Snodgrass (University of Michigan - Tauber Team intern) Malik Angalakudati (National
• Clarkson University – the Grid Acting VP) Emily Dwinnells (University of Michigan - Tauber Team intern).
“National Grid Student Research
Opportunities in Sustainable achievement and shaping our future gram provides an opportunity for
Energy,” an endowed program to workforce,” Smith added. graduate business students to work
support engineering education and on corporate projects and get real-
research opportunities for up to Tapping Top MBA Talent world business experience. Through
five summers for Clarkson Honors Benefits Everyone conversations with the school, the
Program students studying sustain- “This experience revitalizes our first team established was made up
able energy. organization and allows us to tap of six students who worked part-
• Tufts University – in partner- the latest business thinking and time for three months standardizing
ship with the Boston Architectural new technologies,” explains Mallik damage prevention processes. The
College, students researched, Angalakudati, National Grid’s Acting team received class credit and first-
designed and built a solar-powered Vice President for Distribution hand experience.
house to compete in “Curio House,” Support in the U.S. Gas Distribution Today, National Grid works
the Solar Decathlon contest for business. He’s speaking excitedly of with two additional schools, the
the U.S. Department of Energy the work-learning partnerships he University of Michigan’s Ross
and National Renewable Energy has brokered with three universities School of Business and New York
Laboratory’s biannual international since 2007. University’s Stern School of Business.
solar energy competition. “In 2007 we were working to In 2011, the Massachusetts Institute
• City College of New York complete several major projects for of Technology’s Sloan School of
Grove School of Engineering our Gas business,” he continues, Management will become the fourth
– the “Success in Undergraduate “but we were just building the ana- school to partner with National Grid.
Engineering (SUE)” program pro- lytics function and did not have the Almost 40 students will be working
vides scholarships for National resources to get all of the projects on eight projects. “We work closely
Grid SUE Scholars and introduces done.” At the same time, Executive with University administrators and
girls beginning in the 6th grade Vice President and Chief Operating faculty to select student teams that
to engineering through workshops Officer, U.S. Gas Distribution, Nick are diverse across disciplines and
and mentoring opportunities with Stavropoulos, told Angalakudati cultures,” Angalakudati adds. Since
female engineers. about a program underway at the program’s beginnings, student
“This is just another way we sup- Bentley University’s McCallum teams have worked throughout the
port the local communities that we Graduate School of Business in company, widening their impact
operate in, removing barriers to Waltham, Massachusetts. The pro- beyond National Grid’s U.S. Gas

26 P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0

Distribution line of business.
Benefits of the partnership are
deep and have resulted in a win-win
opportunity for everyone involved.
“The students learn what it is like to
work within a major organization,
facing the pressures and challeng-
es of everyday worklife,” explains
Stavropoulos, the program’s execu-
tive sponsor. “Also, the employees
who work with the students not
only take an active role in their
development but also have a chance
to experience working with a wide
variety of students who bring differ-
ent perspectives.”
“National Grid is an outstand-
ing partner for Bentley University,
and this partnership is at its stron-
gest in field-based learning,” offered
Dr. Heikki Topi, Associate Dean of
Business, Graduate and Executive
Programs at Bentley University.
“Bentley’s projects with National
Grid have all been excellent learn-
ing opportunities for our MBA stu-
dents; the projects are always cho-
sen carefully, managed with utmost
care, and they provide the students
with opportunities to make a real
difference. Mallik’s leadership is one
of the key elements in the projects’
success, together with the strong
commitment by National Grid’s
entire top management team and
the dedicated work of Bentley’s fac-
ulty and students.”
Beyond exposure to new insights
and technologies, National Grid
benefits from this partnership in
other ways. “We have an opportu-
nity to work with some of the best
and brightest people in the coun-
try,” Angalakudati explains. “This
gives us the ability to identify top
potential MBA talent for possible
recruitment in the future. It’s also a
lot of fun!” PDJ
Veterans Group Starts With Active First Year
M embership in National
Grid’s newest Employ-
ee Resource Group – mili-
tary veterans – has already
grown past 100. “And that’s
without any advertising!”
says Tim Horan, executive
sponsor of the group. Horan,
a retired U.S. Army colonel,
is senior vice president
of National Grid’s Safety,
Health and Environmental Peter Allen (standing) presents the oversized posters to
Services group. “I’m also Syracuse, NY Veterans Administration Hospital patients at
proud to say that number a ceremony in August. The posters were placed in high-
includes 16 women military traffic areas where the most patients would see them.
veterans.” The veteran’s group was formalized in January of this year.
Development and community focus
Its charter calls for two main focus areas: to provide an essential resource for employees
who are military veterans and to actively plan and participate in community events honoring
veterans. “One of our committees is now working up a formal learning and development
plan for our members,” explains Peter Allen, group vice chair and Senior Analyst/Investiga-
tor with the Revenue Assurance Department. Veterans don’t usually talk about their service
and what skills they learned while in the military. “We want to help them use the leadership
skills and share the “get it done” attitude that veterans have,” Allen continues.
While much of their efforts have been concentrated on creating a framework for develop-
ment, the veterans have not ignored the community. “We have had a very busy first eight
months,” explains West Point graduate Ross Turrini, the group’s second co-chair and Vice
President of Global Procurement.
A way to say ‘thank you’
Ross explains that they have teamed with several outside organizations to honor and re-
member veterans. “Peter (Allen) got the ball rolling by piloting programs at the Syracuse, NY
Veterans Administration Hospital.” Allen circulated several three-by-five-foot posters through-
out operations in his area. Signed by Tom King, President of National Grid USA, the posters
also included personal messages from most who signed them. They were then presented to
the hospital for posting in common areas, where they would have the most visibility.
Allen also worked with a national organization, Thank a Service Member, to create a
custom “challenge coin” for National Grid to give to veterans and the families of recently-
deployed veterans. “We are looking at how we might expand this into other National Grid
communities,” Allen said.
Thank a Service Member was originally founded in 2006 as a grass roots initiative de-
signed to educate the public and to support and show appreciation to the men and women
who have served our country. The response was overwhelming, and in 2010 Thank a
Service Member was incorporated as a not-for-profit and its programs were expanded.
Their Military Appreciation Campaign focuses on conducting appreciation and com-
memoration events throughout the year at VA Hospitals, elderly and long-term care facilities,
welcome home events and other select venues. In order to create a lasting reminder and a
token of appreciation the organization has developed the “TASM Coin,” which is intended to
serve as a source of pride and remembrance.
“We want our efforts to be a win-win process for our members, our company and our
community,” Tim Horan summed up. “And we’re well on our way.”
P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0 27
spotlight
Engineering Our Future
National Grid’s signature program, “Engineering Our Future,” is designed
to inspire youth and attract and develop engineers in an effort to take
action to address the impending critical shortage of utility engineers.
T he combination of an aging
workforce and a loss of
appeal for engineering jobs by
young people is creating concern
for a lack of engineers to fill criti-
cal jobs in the near future.
“We depend on engineers to
design and build our systems to
deliver energy to our customers
safely and reliably,” National Grid
President Tom King said. “We
must act now to create a corps of
smart, dedicated and highly trained
engineers to develop innova-
tive technologies and renewable
energy solutions to meet the ever
changing needs of our customers.”
“Engineering Our Future,” or
EOF as it is known, has three
goals: to INSPIRE, ATTRACT and
DEVELOP future engineers.
Phase 1: INSPIRE
The process of building a
strong engineering corps starts
with inspiring youth to be inter-
ested in science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM).
EOF aims to accomplish this by
applying a multi-level approach to
reach students at all levels of the
educational system, reaching out
to students both in conventional
and unconventional ways, funding
research centers to support new
and exciting technologies and
partnering with organizations
that provide programs to educate
teachers as well as students.
Phase 2: ATTRACT
National Grid wants engineer-
ing graduates to see National Grid
as a great place to work.
The centerpiece of EOF is a new
program called the “Engineering
Pipeline Program.” The Pipeline
28 P ro f i l e s i n D i v e r s i t y J o u r n a l
program is a six-year development
program that creates a recruitment
pathway, beginning after the junior
year in high school, for promising
students across National Grid’s
service area in New York and New
England who want to become
engineers. Each year, 60 high
school juniors who have strong
grades and an interest in study-
ing engineering in college will be
accepted into the Pipeline. If they
study engineering in college, keep
their grades up, and participate in
ongoing Pipeline program activi-
ties – including a paid internship at
National Grid, as well as educa-
tion, job shadowing and mentoring
activities – they will be fast-tracked
for full-time employment at National
Grid upon graduation.
The inaugural class of Engi-
neering Pipeline Scholars took an
important first step toward becom-
ing the engineers of tomorrow
with the launch of the “Engineer-
ing Pipeline Program” this August.
The first class of more than 50
promising high school students
got their first taste of working in
the energy industry through the
Intro to Engineering Academies
that took place at National Grid
Learning Centers across New
York and New England.
“Increasing the engineering
workforce is an imperative not
only for National Grid but for our
entire industry,” says National Grid
Director of U.S. Citizenship Loretta
Smith. “The inaugural class of
Engineering Pipeline Scholars
has excelled academically, with
diverse interests and experience,
and we look forward to work-
N O V e m b e r / D E C EM b e r 2 0 1 0
Students participate in National Grid’s “Engineering Pipeline Program”
plastic fusion lab, a common method in the natural gas industry for
joining plastic pipes or fittings. On the left Amanda Low (of Marine
Park), a Brooklyn Technical High School student, works with National
Grid Instructor John Mead.
ing with these students to help to grow and develop their talents
develop our industry’s creative with comprehensive learning
problem solvers of the future.” programs. National Grid’s formal
Students learn through internal engineering development
classroom instruction, site visits, program includes the Engineering
research and projects. The cur- Graduate Development program
riculum, put together by National designed to accelerate the time to
Grid’s Learning & Development competency for new hires, custom-
group, includes classroom and ized technical training programs,
hands-on activities on topics such on the job training and mentoring,
as: introduction to the energy in- annual expert training, customized
dustry, engineering safety, natural Personal Development Plans, en-
gas operations, electric power gineering training courses for new
systems and future technologies, technologies, engineering rotation
including smart grids. programs designed to enhance
Recently students worked in competencies and online engineer-
a plastic fusion lab, a common ing degree programs.
method in the natural gas industry National Grid works with the
for joining plastic pipes or fittings. community colleges in its service
“We were all very impressed by the area, including the Hudson Valley
quality, professionalism and moti- Community College, to facilitate a
vation of the Scholars selected into certificate program for overhead
the Pipeline,” says Brian Varga, line workers with hands-on techni-
National Grid Director of U.S. Tech- cal training.
nical Learning & Development. “When National Grid thinks
“They were extremely excited to about the future, we think of
participate in the Academies, and innovation, especially in the area
we were equally excited to play an of energy conservation,” King
active role in inspiring and develop- added. “We are committed to
ing engineers of the future.” playing a major role in the transi-
Phase 3: DEVELOP tion to a low carbon economy.
Once engineers are working at We cannot make that transition
National Grid, the company wants without engineers.”