Leading transformation: Navigating changes in the environment, technology, and operations

**SPEAKER_1** (0:05)
Welcome to the AiDASH Evolve 2024 podcast.
AiDASH makes critical infrastructure industries climate resilient and sustainable with satellites and AI. Evolve 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana was our inaugural event. We gathered industry leaders, innovators and visionaries to explore how cutting edge technology and satellites and AI is safeguarding critical infrastructure and fostering biodiversity to ensure a sustainable future amidst climate change challenges. In this podcast series, we are recapping the entire event, every speaker and session. You can find it all on our content hub at ai-dot-com-slash-evolve2024 or check the show notes for all pertinent links. In this episode, you'll learn how leaders can drive transformation while maintaining operational excellence. Moderated by Azum Ali, VP of Customer Success and Transformation for AiDASH, the panel was composed of industry experts. August Ridder, Operations Manager, Vegetation Management for Xcel Energy. Kristen Bridges, Vegetation Management and Contract Services Manager for Alabama Power. Shubham Kumar, Managing Director and Partner, BCG. And Don Adcock, Senior Manager, Power Delivery, Vegetation Management Operations for Entergy. Although their specific reasons were unique, the panelists agreed that change became necessary and unavoidable for their respective utilities. They talked about how change management requires planning, leadership, communication and buy-in from frontline workers. And they agreed that progress in achieving results from new technological solutions is usually gradual and iterative. Here's the panel, led by Azum.

**Azum Ali** (2:03)
Good morning, everyone. I'm Azum, a customer success leader here at AiDASH. I lead a team that ensures that all of you, our customers, are achieving your goals by working with us to help you solve your toughest operational challenges while keeping your infrastructure reliable and resilient. As we've heard, it's such an important part of our community, our nation, as we discussed this morning. My background's in management consulting. I worked in operations and maintenance for industrial manufacturers and infrastructure, with an engineering and technology bent. I'm continually inspired by all of you, as my team works with all of you customers every day. We see leaders here tackling some of the toughest and most complex problems that we've seen in generations in energy. Using cutting-edge technology, demonstrating a strong commitment to transforming our operations, to meet the need of the year. And in the face of the biggest changes to the energy industry in decades. I'm really proud of the community that we built up, of people who have taken a topic like vegetation management. Where you are already experts on things that I'm just getting deep on, like tree species, the species of the pests that infest those trees. Grid load, changing human behavior within your organizations from people from all walks of life. And now you've added to that list, computer vision AI. You've added satellites, mobile apps, aerial imagery. And now with emerging climate threats like wind gusts that are 70 miles per hour plus, wildfires. That's a lot of different topics for utility leaders. I don't know that if you expected to solve all those things when you were getting to this career 10, 20, 30 years ago, but that's what you've got to solve today. And so, you know, we have a really distinguished panel with us today, leaders who are facing some of these tough operational challenges, and I'm really fortunate to have them share their insights. So I want to start with some introductions. So on my left, I've got August Ridder, who's Operations Manager for Vegetation Management at Xcel Energy, brings 13 years of forestry and utility experience, has led vegetation management programs and previously worked with the US. Forest Service. After is Kristen Bridges, who oversees Alabama Power Companies, Vegetation Management and Power Delivery Contract Services. With over 23 years of experience, she leads teams that improve the reliability and manage the budgets for both transmission and distribution. And then Don Adcock, a veteran leader at Entergy, for 30 years managing vegetation strategies across four states. He's including Louisiana where we are today. He's been pivotal in ensuring the safety and reliability through innovative approaches to vegetation management. Between these three utility leaders, their companies cover 15 states in the US, which is pretty impressive. And they have several decades of experience between them. But I'm also excited to welcome Shubham Kumar, who's a managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group, where he advises global energy clients on grid modernization, operational excellence, and digital transformation.
And helps utilities navigate the changing utility landscape, which is the change that we're here to talk about today. So, look, these folks understand the critical role of people, processes, and leadership in meeting all these transformative needs of the hour. And so I'm excited to hear their stories and share those with you. So, with that, I want to begin with a question for our utility leaders, which is that in your experience as leaders, you know, every leader faces moments when staying the same is no longer an option. Was there a specific challenge or trend that made transformation unavoidable in your organization? I want to start with you, August.