From Consulting to Critical Infrastructure

Before I ever stepped into a CIO or CISO role in the utility sector, I cut my teeth in the world of IT consulting. Early in my career, I worked at Deloitte and later in managed services with Solid Systems. It was a fast-paced, demanding environment—one where I learned to solve problems quickly, manage scale, and align technology with business needs.

At the time, I had no idea just how valuable those lessons would be when I transitioned into utilities. But as it turns out, the same principles that helped companies streamline their operations and grow smarter in the private sector could also help public utilities modernize and serve communities more effectively.

Today, utilities are in the middle of a digital transformation—and many of the best tools for this shift come from the worlds of managed services and automation. My journey through both spaces has taught me that innovation isn’t about having the flashiest tech. It’s about building systems that are reliable, scalable, and grounded in purpose.

Why Utilities Needed a Digital Wake-Up Call

For decades, utilities operated with the same basic model: keep the lights on, keep the water flowing, and avoid disruption. That approach worked—until it didn’t.

Climate change, population growth, aging infrastructure, and rising customer expectations have changed the game. Utilities now have to be more adaptive, transparent, and data-driven than ever before. That’s where digital transformation enters the picture.

But here’s the challenge: most utility organizations weren’t built for agility. They’ve got siloed teams, legacy systems, and an understandable focus on stability over experimentation. So how do you modernize an environment like that? You borrow strategies from managed services—where standardization, automation, and continuous improvement are part of the DNA.

Managed Services: The Blueprint for Scalability

In consulting and managed services, success is all about repeatability. You build frameworks, not just fixes. You solve a problem once, then design a way to prevent it from happening again—at scale.

When I began leading tech teams in utilities, I brought that same mindset. Rather than putting out fires as they came up, we started identifying where processes could be standardized and automated. That meant centralizing our service desks, implementing proactive monitoring, and building out repeatable playbooks for system upgrades and incident response.

This wasn’t just about saving time (though we did plenty of that). It was about giving teams the space to focus on higher-value work—strategic planning, customer experience, and long-term resilience.

Automation: Doing More with Less—Smartly

Automation isn’t about replacing people. It’s about enabling them. In the utility space, we’re often dealing with large, distributed systems—everything from smart meters to remote substations to treatment plants. Trying to manage all of that manually is a recipe for inefficiency.

When I worked on grid modernization in Chattanooga and later on smart water initiatives in Austin, automation played a key role. We deployed systems that could detect outages in real time, reroute resources, and flag anomalies before they became service interruptions.

This wasn’t futuristic thinking—it was practical transformation. It allowed us to reduce downtime, improve reliability, and better serve the public. And behind every automated system was a human who could now focus on problem-solving rather than routine monitoring.

Lessons from the Private Sector, Adapted for the Public Good

One thing I always stress: utilities are not businesses in the traditional sense. We don’t chase profit margins—we serve communities. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from the private sector.

From my early consulting days, I learned the value of customer focus, service level agreements, and metrics that actually matter. When I transitioned into utilities, I didn’t leave those principles behind—I adapted them. We started applying performance benchmarks, conducting root cause analyses, and delivering dashboards that gave teams clarity and direction.

But unlike the private sector, our “customers” are also our neighbors. That adds a level of responsibility and care that goes beyond ROI. It’s not just about efficiency—it’s about trust.

The Human Side of Digital Transformation

Technology alone doesn’t transform an organization—people do. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in this journey is that digital change needs to be matched with cultural change.

In utilities, where people take pride in doing things the right way, introducing automation or managed services approaches can feel threatening. That’s why communication and inclusion are so important. I’ve spent countless hours walking through new processes with frontline workers, answering questions, and inviting feedback.

When people feel like they’re part of the change, they support it. When they’re left in the dark, they resist it. Quiet leadership, trust-building, and clear vision are just as important as the latest software or dashboard.

Building a Smarter Utility

As I look to the future of utilities, I see a clear path forward—one shaped by digital tools, automated systems, and managed strategies. But I also see a need for empathy, collaboration, and purpose-driven leadership.

The challenges we face are big—climate resilience, cyber threats, aging infrastructure—but so are the opportunities. By applying what we’ve learned from the private sector and adapting it to public service, we can build smarter, stronger, more responsive utilities.

The work isn’t flashy. It doesn’t make headlines. But it matters—deeply. And for me, that’s what makes it worth doing.