When Kristen Senechal (MBA '08) enrolled at the C. T. Bauer College of Business, she was looking for a career shift. Now, she is the president and CEO of one of the largest energy cooperatives in the United States.

As the leader of Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC), Senechal said it is her responsibility to continuously provide the best experience for their customers by working hard to keep the lights on for the industrial, commercial and thousands of residential customers they serve. She added that in this role, she wants to continue to uphold the company's values of safety, integrity, accountability, teamwork, excellence and innovation — qualities that were strengthened from her education at Bauer College.

"Going through the MBA program taught me a lot about myself," Senechal said. "It allows you to look at what your key strengths are and see where you have room to develop."

Senechal started her career in medical research, specializing in leukemias, breast cancer and epilepsy. After 10 years in the industry, she said she wanted to transition out of the lab environment and learn more about the business side of things. The flourishing biotech presence in Houston made Bauer the obvious choice in advancing her education, she added.

"Every class was a learning experience for me. The core curriculum was perfect for someone like me coming from a non-business background."
Kristen Senechal (MBA '08), NOVEC President and CEO

The MBA program supported Senechal through this career shift by facilitating conversations with potential employers and bringing people from different professional backgrounds to the same cohort, she said. Learning from her peers was just as valuable as the lessons taught in the classroom, and an internship facilitated by Bauer led to a career that was as fulfilling as it was successful.

With help from the Rockwell Career Center, Senechal started at CenterPoint Energy. She discovered her talent and love for working in the utility industry. Before she got involved through her internship, she assumed work in energy would be monotonous, but she quickly learned that to be further from the truth.

"Business isn't one-dimensional," Senechal said. "You can't go in with a single perspective if you want to advance your company, or work better with your customers, or solve any problem you're facing. Being able to wear those different hats and look at things through a different lens will offer you a much more holistic point of view."

That's especially important to remember when it comes to the utility industry, she added, since it changes a lot faster than people think it does. It is critical to be able to see challenges or opportunities from the perspective of customers, stakeholders, regulators and legislators.

"Business isn't one-dimensional."

Photo courtesy of Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC).

After graduating, she continued to advance her career at CenterPoint, then Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and finally NOVEC.

Her background in medical research lent itself well to performing the technical aspects of the job, Senechal said, but what she's learned throughout her time in leadership roles is the ability to effectively communicate in a way that reaches everyone.

"Energy is something that touches everyone," she said. "It's critical that we help our customers understand the realities of what it takes to keep their lights on."