Get the most from Spencer Ogden. View saved jobs, past applications and set up job alerts.
Get the most from Spencer Ogden. View saved jobs, past applications and set up job alerts.
THE SOAPBOX SERIES
We're excited to launch our new podcast hosted by Mindy Prefling, Senior Manager of Client Services at Spencer Ogden, who will be opening up discussions with thought leaders in the industry about the human element of the renewable energy landscape.
Mindy is joined by Karlis Povisils, SVP of Development at Apex Clean Energy to discuss how to effectively lead a team to success. Karlis has been responsible for building his team from the ground up which now stands at 60 people so it’s safe to say he has a lot of valuable experience to share on this topic! He discusses his journey with building that team including the challenges he faced and what he learnt along the way.
Episode 3: Unconscious bias and breaking old traditions when it comes to hiring
In our next episode of Soapbox, we explore unconscious bias and how we can work to get rid of our own unconscious bias especially when it comes to hiring.
Katya Weaklim, HR Director, North America Envision Digital discusses her own personal battles with being a victim of unconscious bias and how we can start to break old traditions when it comes to hiring.
Episode 2: Leadership, Representation and Renewables
Episode 2 of Season 3 see's Mindy sit down with Chelsea Stone, Vice President, Service Commercial in North America at Vestas.
This insightful episode covers the importance of representation in the renewables industry and the challenges that come with moving into a leadership role early on in your career. Chelsea discusses her personal challenges with this and how she had to unlearn something in order to develop into the leader she is today.
Episode 1: The importance of diversity when building a team
Season 3 kicks off with the very important topic - the importance of diversity when developing your team.
In this episode, Mindy is joined by Nova Clean Energy’s, Head of Development, Jenn Goodwillie who discusses how the renewables market is still in the process of developing a diverse talent pool and how companies within renewables can start to make small changes to help this pool grow and develop.
Episode 7: Leadership, Vulnerability and Imposter Syndrome
This insightful conversation covers leadership, being vulnerable in a modern corporate environment, learning you can’t have control over everything, and growing your confidence.
Georgia has been with Spencer Ogden since she started in the Academy in Singapore in 2014. Since then, she’s worked her way up to Associate Director (New York) at Spencer Ogden, where she manages a team of more than 40 people. Listen along for an inspiring story of career growth.
Episode 6: Culture, diversity, and adaptability in an era of change
How do you merge two great organizations without sacrificing team morale? Find out now on season 2 episode 6 of the SOapbox Series, featuring Steve Doyon, CEO of Onward Energy. Onward Energy was formed after the successful merger of Novatus Energy and Southwest Generation. Steven tells us all about how to lead a growing team during a time of major change.
Episode 5: Culture, Diversity and Renewable Energy
In this episode, host Mindy Prefling speaks to Michael Smith and Rachel McLaughlin, CEO and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ForeFront Power. It’s a powerful discussion that covers culture, diversity, training, and employee retention. Michael and Rachel speak highly of their time at ForeFront Power and discuss some of the reasons that make working there a unique and positive experience.
Episode 4: Discussing Big Law and renewable energy
In this episode, host Mindy Prefling talks to Anna Kimbrell, Partner at Husch Blackwell, about what it’s like working in Big Law with a focus on renewable energy.
They discuss how Anna went from Summer Associate to Partner in record time, the state of diversity and inclusion in the legal industry as well as renewables, and how to attract top diverse candidates in a highly competitive sector.
When you think of plastic waste, the first things that probably come to mind are plastic straws, disposable bags or water bottles - but you might not necessarily think of flip-flops.
In this instalment of the SOapBox Series, we spoke with the CEO of Ocean Sole, Erin Smith. Ocean Sole is a Kenyan social enterprise whose mission is to turn flip-flop pollution into inspiring art, promoting marine conservation and creating employment in high impact areas.
We love what the team is doing at Ocean Sole - so much so that we partner with them ourselves!
In this episode, we talk about Ocean Sole’s mission in more detail, how they’re empowering communities in Kenya, and Erin’s ideas for ending the flip-flop waste problem. Listen now for some great insights.
Episode 2: Demanding space for yourself in the future of solar
For this remarkable installment, host Mindy Prefling meets with Kacie Peters. For over a decade, Kacie Peters has been an innovator, communicator, and mentor for the distributed solar and storage industry. She has pioneered new markets and sales strategies for organizations including SunEdison, Alta Energy, and held board positions on COSSA and ISEA.
Kacie has been recognized for her work by the Denver Business Journal and the Environmental Entrepreneurs. Her thought leadership has been featured in Solar Power World, Energy News Network, and in whitepapers for SEIA and Clean Energy for Biden.
We get personal with Kacie as she discusses her courageous battle with colon cancer, the challenges of being a woman and mother in a male-dominated industry, and her passion for sustainability for her son and tomorrow’s world. It’s a meaningful conversation, inspiring others to create truly inclusive and forward-thinking spaces. Listen now.
Episode 1: Discussing the future of energy storage
We’re back with the first episode of our second season of the SOapbox Series!
In this thought-provoking episode, we’ll be talking to Kiran Kumaraswamy, VP of Growth at Fluence. This guest eats, breathes, and sleeps all things energy storage and has a lot to say about the current and future state of renewable energy. He talks about how crucial DEI is to ensure that organizations in this industry are making the right decisions for everyone going forward. Kiran is a huge driving force behind diversity initiatives and strongly believes in inclusivity.
Our podcast, the SOapbox Series, has just completed season 1 and it’s filled with insightful, thought-provoking dialogue with top leaders in renewable energy.
All seven episodes (and an International Women’s Day minisode) are available to stream right now! In them, host Mindy Prefling takes a deep dive into diversity and inclusion, the future of renewables, and the people who make up this innovative industry.
Episode 7: Double the guests, double the DE&I expertise
In episode seven ‘Double the guests, double the DE&I expertise’ Senior Manager of Client Services at Spencer Ogden, Mindy Prefling speaks to Melissa Morgante, Head of People and Development at Orsted and Felisa Nobles, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead at Orsted. Melissa, Felisa and Mindy discuss DE&I and the importance of improving diversity within the renewable energy sector.
Episode 6: Growing a Business in Renewables the Right Way
In this episode, Mindy speaks to Emilie Wangerman, Head of Business Development and M&A at Lightsource bp regarding diversity in renewables, how to go about improving diversity in organizations in the sector, when to use your connections and how Lightsource bp hires and retains their top talent.
In this episode, Mindy Prefling speaks to Lars Gloessner, Associate Director, Energy & Infrastructure Recruitment at Spencer Ogden, to discuss what it means to be an ally, how this manifests itself in the workplace, and how men can be better supporters of women both within and outside of the professional space.
In this episode Mindy Prefling, speaks to Jade Scheele, Head of Development at Steelhead America, who talks about the importance of welcoming feedback, how the key to overcoming the pandemic struggles is to embrace the virtual environment and Steelhead’s approach to encouraging diversity and inclusion.
In this episode Mindy speaks to Tanya Martinez, Director of Development at AES Clean Energy, about her experience as a woman in engineering, the importance of respectful representation, and the current state of DE&I in renewables.
Episode 3: Improving diversity, equity and inclusion in organizations
In this episode Mindy speaks to speaks to Taylor Dodson, Manager of Utility Scale Interconnection at SOLV Energy, about his long-standing career, the need for labor in renewables, and his drive to improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SOLV Energy.
Episode 2: Overcoming disparity across gender and race in renewable energy
In this episode Mindy speaks to Kristen Graf, Executive Director at Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), about the steps companies need to take to make their spaces more welcoming and stimulating for people of all genders and backgrounds.
In this episode Mindy speaks to Aron Branam, Vice President, Development and Construction at Averon about his transition from Associate Director to VP and how they are prioritising diversity in their workforce.
We’ll be opening up discussions with thought leaders in the industry about the human element of the renewable energy landscape. We’ll be covering the dynamic and innovative environment of renewable energy, asking how we can create a progressive workforce that champions diversity and delving into what a truly sustainable future looks like. Join us for in-depth discussions, interesting debate and thoughtful dialogue!
The host
The SOapbox Series will be hosted by Mindy Prefling, Senior Manager of Client Services at Spencer Ogden. Mindy welcomes open honest conservations and aims to further discourse in the renewable energy sector. She’s had a long-standing career in recruitment and believes in taking a people-centric approach to it.
The guests
If you’re a thought leader in the renewable energy space, we’d love to hear from you. We feature a diverse range of guests made up of prominent industry professionals who want to bring new topics of conversation to an open forum. We also welcome guests from more traditional industries such as oil and gas to add a different perspective to the conversation. Our aim is to give a platform to a variety of voices within the sector.
