LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Utilligent, an international management consulting firm advising some of the world’s largest utility companies, announces the hiring of utility industry veteran Helen A. Burt as executive vice president and chief customer officer (EVP and CCO). Burt is joining the Utilligent leadership team as part of an ongoing global expansion that includes the recent acquisition of leading Australian and New Zealand corporate advisory firm Transformory Pty. Ltd.
In addition to serving as EVP and CCO, Burt will lead Utilligent’s global infrastructure and innovation research practice. She will have end-to-end responsibility for customer relationships from strategic business development through to delivery and support, reporting to chief executive officer (CEO) and managing partner Mike Bassignani.
“Helen’s deep understanding of client-side expectations will be a driving force in our continued global growth, along with her proven track record of actualizing impactful results,” said Bassignani. “We believe that where we help our customers thrive, we will thrive. Our company has been built based on this singular customer focus. The appointment of Helen to this key role on our executive team will help us elevate our customer partnerships to a new level by leveraging her thought leadership in public policy and innovation.”
Burt joined Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a Fortune 200 company and one of the largest and best-known U.S. gas and electric utilities, in 2006 as chief customer officer (CCO). During her tenure, she led the largest implementation of smart meters in the U.S. and was the first person in the utility industry to serve as a CCO.
In 2014, Burt was elected to serve as senior vice president of external affairs and public policy for PG&E Corporation, the parent company of PG&E. In this capacity, Burt led, aligned and integrated the full spectrum of PG&E’s public policy initiatives within federal affairs, state and local government relations including community relations, digital strategy, brand management, advertising, media relations, customer and internal communications.
“Utilities are faced with meeting the demands of fast-evolving customer needs, working with policy makers to create a new regulatory model, and partnering with emergent companies, and I’ve dedicated my career to meeting this industry challenge,” said Helen A. Burt, Utilligent EVP and CCO. “Joining Utilligent now as it transforms into a global player means my passion for advancing the industry will have broader reach by allowing me to work with multiple clients across the globe; from advocating for policy that positively changes the way we consume and distribute energy and water, and operationalizing strategy to transform utilities from within.”
Outside of her role at PG&E, Helen has served on many philanthropic boards and was named one of the Most Influential Women in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times for five consecutive years.
Burt holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biology and Chemistry from Midwestern State University.
About Utilligent
Utilligent is a consulting company guiding some of the world’s largest utilities from strategy through implementation, with extensive expertise in the electric, gas and water industries delineated into five tightly integrated practice domains — Customer Engagement; Network, Grid & Utility Operations; Smart Utilities; Market Integration; and Cyber/Physical Security. Spanning these areas of focus are service offerings developed to address the multifaceted needs of utilities: Strategy, Solution Architecture, Analytics, Change Management, Program Management, and Technology Enablement.
Formed by a veteran team of utility executives and consultants who had, through decades of professional collaboration and personal interaction, developed mutual respect and trust, Utilligent has grown to include likeminded experts, each chosen for their individual knowledge and skill set as well as their alignment with a straightforward, results-oriented culture.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, the company has global locations in Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; and Melbourne, Australia.
