Itron Inspire
Powering Women in Utilities
October 10, 2017
The work-life balance can be a challenge to manage, but as with any difficult situation, Samantha Ettus has proven it is better with pie. Ettus tackles the difficulty of juggling work and life goals in her book, “The Pie Life,” which she will discuss at the Women in Utilities Reception on Oct. 16 at Itron Utility Week.
Ettus, renowned work-life wellness expert and bestselling author, will introduce a detailed plan about managing the competing demands of work and personal life. Incorporating stories of hundreds of women from Shonda Rhimes to Gayle King, Ettus shares secrets about sustaining a thriving personal and professional life at the same time.
I look forward to sharing the stage with this known champion of gender equality. If you haven’t seen it already, I encourage you to watch her TED Talk where she highlighted the segmentation of careers for men and women based on gender stereotypes.
“As champions of potential the universal mistake we are making is the gender stereotyping of boys and girls.” Ettus’s words are applicable for all individuals, encouraging men to be artists, chefs and creators and women to be doctors, entrepreneurs and leaders. For women in the utility industry, this topic addresses an unfortunate lack of women engineers, executives and innovators that has existed for more than 40 years.
Itron’s own Annette Gardiner, vice president of gas and strategic development, reflected on this divide in a blog earlier this month, saying there is still much work to be done to advocate and champion for women in the industry. In the United States, only 5 percent of the boards in the top 200 global utilities include women. This discussion comes at a time when the utility industry employs less women than even the tech industry.
As a female executive in the utility industry, I believe that our company must be powered by both men and women who create achievable goals in all areas of their lives. To equip you with the tools to succeed, Ettus and I will discuss balancing commitments to work, life and community, while also discussing techniques to combat gendered assumptions.
Ettus, renowned work-life wellness expert and bestselling author, will introduce a detailed plan about managing the competing demands of work and personal life. Incorporating stories of hundreds of women from Shonda Rhimes to Gayle King, Ettus shares secrets about sustaining a thriving personal and professional life at the same time.
I look forward to sharing the stage with this known champion of gender equality. If you haven’t seen it already, I encourage you to watch her TED Talk where she highlighted the segmentation of careers for men and women based on gender stereotypes.
“As champions of potential the universal mistake we are making is the gender stereotyping of boys and girls.” Ettus’s words are applicable for all individuals, encouraging men to be artists, chefs and creators and women to be doctors, entrepreneurs and leaders. For women in the utility industry, this topic addresses an unfortunate lack of women engineers, executives and innovators that has existed for more than 40 years.
Itron’s own Annette Gardiner, vice president of gas and strategic development, reflected on this divide in a blog earlier this month, saying there is still much work to be done to advocate and champion for women in the industry. In the United States, only 5 percent of the boards in the top 200 global utilities include women. This discussion comes at a time when the utility industry employs less women than even the tech industry.
As a female executive in the utility industry, I believe that our company must be powered by both men and women who create achievable goals in all areas of their lives. To equip you with the tools to succeed, Ettus and I will discuss balancing commitments to work, life and community, while also discussing techniques to combat gendered assumptions.