New Energy At The Helm
Tina M. Bennett
TITLE: President, Conservation Services Group, Westborough
HOMETOWN: Gilford, N.H.
RESIDENCE: Medway
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, Bentley University; master's degree, Northeastern University
Energy conservation is a red-hot topic, and Conservation Services Group, which provides energy-efficiency services, is a red-hot beneficiary. The Westborough nonprofit topped our list of top-growth nonprofit companies in 2011 after growing its revenue 61 percent from 2008 to 2010 and nearly doubling its employee base. Two months ago, it named a new president, Tina M. Bennett, who is overseeing day-to-day operations at CSG after more than 20 years of experience with energy and utility firms.
You've spent much of your career in roles that are tied to energy consumption. How big a change is this new role for you?
Actually, there's a lot of synergy between what I'm doing now and what I've done in past roles. So here I bring 20-plus years of energy experience that I have to this sector of the business. But operationally - and from a leadership perspective - we deal with many of the same challenges here from an organizational perspective that are dealt with in other sectors of the industry.
CSG has a clear mission and message. Is there a lot of work left to do in energy conservation?
There's a lot of work, yes. We are currently in 22 states. We'd like to see ourselves being able to expand programs in all the states across the country. And there's always more to do in the programs we currently work, reaching more homes, implementing technologies, improving technologies that we have.
Could you explain some of the technologies that you're using?
We, from an energy efficiency residential perspective ... we do full home audits that range from energy-efficiency lighting to insulation to looking at heating and cooling systems and tuning them to create the most efficient use of those facilities.
You say you're in 22 states. Where are they clustered most?
Our biggest state is right here in Massachusetts. We have very large programs here with National Grid and NStar.
One of your company's chief missions is protecting the environment by reducing demand on natural resources. That message resonates more today than it did years ago, but is it difficult to accomplish?
I think there's definitely more awareness of it and as we deal with the energy challenges, there's definitely more focus. So I think that does help. Utilities are developing programs and are very interested in bringing energy savings to their customers, and I think are much more focused - I think all companies are much more focused on the environment and the final impact they have. So I think that certainly helps our mission but we've been doing this since maybe before energy efficiency was popular and maybe had a lot to do with developing that on the agenda.
Is this the kind of position you had always aspired to have, being the leader of a company?
I would say yes. I think the challenge and also the opportunity of leading an organization is really working with a group of very talented individuals and bringing those individuals together to achieve really great goals. In the case of CSG, it's not only about achieving business goals, it's about achieving environment goals, it's about achieving energy efficiency goals and improving our environment and improving the world we live in.
What's the hardest management or leadership lesson you've had to learn?
The hardest (lesson) that I've had to learn as I've moved up in leadership responsibility is moving from an individual contributor who has a certain expertise in a certain area and really depending on the team around me and learning to listen to the ideas and, though leadership, bring those ideas to fruition.
And what's the hardest management or leadership lesson to teach?
I'd say that one as well. A lot of people move into leadership because they've been identified as an individual contributor. And they move into leadership not necessarily with all of the training and support. And sometimes you get there by default and you learn lessons the hard way. So I think trying to teach someone to delegate to bring out the expertise and the talent within their team is maybe a different skill than the one they were performing before.
Your bio says you enjoy playing golf with your friends.
I love being outside. My favorite time to golf is first thing in the morning when there's still dew on the grass. And when the golf course isn't packed with everybody else and you can just enjoy the birds and actually the silence around you. And playing with friends is always enjoyable.
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