Gwendolyn G. Mizell, the Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability, Diversity, and Philanthropy Officer at Ameren Corporation, is a seasoned leader with a track record of delivering results. With over 30 years of experience in corporate and entrepreneurial environments, she is known for her strategic and collaborative approach, consistently building successful organizations, and identifying and developing talent.
Gwen possesses excellent written and verbal communication skills and values diverse skills and experiences, fostering consensus within teams. Her expertise spans sustainability, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leadership, energy industry knowledge, business, sales, and marketing strategy, diversity and inclusion strategy, talent development, policy analysis, coaching, and mentoring. Gwen is respected for her ability to lead major projects and exceed organizational goals, consistently delivering with excellence.
Below are highlights of the interview:
Can you tell us about your background and how it led you to your current position?
I come from a single-parent household with limited resources, attended public school and grew up with no understanding of what a career in energy could look like. Getting an engineering degree and benefiting from outreach programs, scholarships, internships, mentoring, and sponsorship largely provided the foundation for what became my 30-year career, culminating in my role as a member of the Executive Leadership Team of a Fortune 500 company.
What is your leadership philosophy, and how do you implement it within your company?
It is critical that leaders are able to envision the end state, create excitement about it and build a team to work together to achieve it. That takes understanding what each team member needs to motivate them to get to their optimum state. Being able to inspire and engage people and lead with empathy are key components necessary for any great leader.
Can you describe a challenge that you faced in your role and how you overcame it?
My role is challenging in that it is critical to the future of the company but not seen in the light of a traditional “core” function. Ensuring we make decisions that pay off for today but don’t jeopardize our future requires us to look around every corner to anticipate risks to business sustainability and work through others across the business to mitigate those risks. Overcoming these challenges has been helped by the validation that my team and I have received from outside stakeholders, affirming the value of our efforts.
Can you describe the company’s unique products or services and how they set you apart from competitors? And how does the company differentiate itself from competitors in the industry?
We are an electric and natural gas energy company that powers the quality of life for more than 2 million customers across two states. While we don’t “compete” against others in the traditional sense, we are serious about making sure that we address the wants and needs of our customers. We spend a great deal of time making sure that new offerings can be accessed by all customers equally. So, for example, as we build out the infrastructure needed to support electric mobility systems, we consider how customers living in multi-family homes and those using public transportation can benefit in equal measure from those who own single-family homes and have chargers in their garages.
What do you see as the biggest opportunities for growth and development for the company in the next 5 years?
It’s a tremendous time in the industry to transition to cleaner forms of generation, but to do so in a way that preserves reliability and affordability for our customers. Several steps are needed to make this happen, reshaping a grid system that provides cleaner energy. It includes: robust buildout of transmission lines to facilitate the movement of energy; investing in technology development to offset the impacts of current fossil energy resources; and continuing to upgrade systems so that they are less prone to failure during severe weather systems. We must continue to proactively upgrade the underlying infrastructure to accommodate increased electrification needs so that we are ahead of the curve as electrification becomes the norm.
How does the company prioritize sustainability and environmental responsibility in its operations?
We prioritize sustainability in every aspect of our business by integrating it into our strategy, risk management framework, and financial and operational parameters. Success in key aspects of sustainability and environmental stewardship, such as greenhouse gas reductions, supplier diversity, and workforce diversity, is tied to financial performance in both our short- and long-term incentive compensation programs.
How does the company ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, and what steps does the company take to address any issues or concerns?
Customers are at the center of everything we do. Our reliability has improved and was in the top quartile in 2023, and we also rank in the top quartile for customer satisfaction in the Midwest. Ensuring our customers have access to reliable and affordable energy, especially those who are most vulnerable, is a priority. We recognize that financial challenges can happen to anyone at any time, which is why we have programs that continue to broaden our reach and increase our investments in energy assistance programs.
Could you provide an overview of the leadership team and their impact on the company’s success and the industry?
Our leadership team consists of extraordinarily talented, committed individuals, all driven by the same interest in improving the quality of life for our customers. The combination of skills, experience, credibility, heart, and passion have helped us ascend to the ranks of being identified as a premium utility.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the same industry?
Get to know the business, inside and out. Our industry publishes a great deal of information regarding our short- and long-term plans. Use that data, aligned with your unique skills, to inform your target marketing strategy. Leverage your networks to reach key buying influences, being persistent and following up as necessary. Once given a shot, be exceptional! Build relationships—they will transcend any one transaction.
Website: ameren.com
