After 30 years working with and for electric utilities, Wanda Reder has launched a woman-owned management consulting firm titled Grid-X Partners, LLC. The Wayne, Illinois-based company, which was launched on June 1, aims to assist utilities, communities and regulators with their complex energy challenges by advancing the grid and enabling them to succeed in the energy environment of the future.
The boutique start-up firm focuses on strategies that help clients succeed in the energy environment of the future, and proactively builds collaborations for smart cities, enables clean generation and facilitates customer choice, Reder says. Grid-X Partners focuses on problems that require a balance of technical and strategic experience and sound methodology to solve issues and applies a practitioner model in the delivery of engagements. In her role as president and CEO, Reder will be responsible for setting direction, strategy, budget and developing alliances for Grid-X Partners, as well as selling, delivering strategic consulting and providing trusted advisement for her clients.
"I am passionate about this work, and I look forward to the continued pleasure of working with so many organizations and utility representatives; together, we have accomplished so much, and we will continue to do so," Reder says.
Reder, who earned her MBA in New Ventures from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from South Dakota State University, is an IEEE Fellow and a member of the National Academy of Engineers. During her career, Reder said she has made significant achievements in utilities and related technical professional associations, service providers, suppliers and regulatory groups. For example, she spent 13 years as the vice president of power systems solutions and chief strategy officer for S&C Electric Co. In this role, she led the strategic planning for the company, resulting in a clear vision and a roadmap for the foreseeable future.
"My S&C journey also has given me the opportunity to put key pieces of that strategy into place, such as developing the Power Systems Solutions business and leading the acquisition of IPERC, an innovator in microgrid controls," she says.
Over her time in the utility industry, she has also provided strategic direction and successfully executed large-scale change initiatives, resulting in turnarounds and sustainable growth. Her electric utility expertise includes large domestic and international organizations, start-up ventures and mergers and acquisitions and implementing leading-edge solutions. She said she is known for her visionary industry leadership, strategic planning and financial acumen, operational excellence and human capital performance and entrepreneurial success.
For more information, visit her web site.
