What It Takes

Senior account managers help support public health, safety and commerce

When major storms roll through eastern Nebraska, OPPD senior account manager Steve Arora takes a deep breath and waits for his phone to ring.

Restoring power to everyone during outages is OPPD’s top priority. But for a handful of very large, critical customers – hospitals, water facilities, major employers, government buildings – it’s a matter of public health, safety and commerce.

Representing those customers are senior account managers, a small, specialized team that helps keep those crucial customers running and minimize disruptions before they cascade into larger problems.

“During storms, it gets very busy, very fast,” Arora said. “That’s where we’re really put to the test. You keep your phone on you at all times and answer every call you possibly can.”

Boosting reliability, efficiency

Senior account managers are more important than ever as eastern Nebraska grows, welcomes new businesses and adds jobs and services. They’re on call all day, year-round, to address any challenges with their assigned customers.

When large customers need more power, senior account managers help coordinate expansion projects.

Senior account managers also conduct annual energy reviews, finding new efficiencies that can save customers money. They recommend steps to strengthen customers against possible outages, such as backup generators or automatic throwover switches.

“Our primary role is to be the single point of contact,” said Laura Strode, a senior account manager representing several utilities, local governments and large employers. “We help them with anything from installing new service to strategic partnerships. We’re that one-stop-shop for customers, and it’s tailored based on their needs.”

Responding to outages

Senior account managers are part of OPPD’s Storm Team and will work directly with the utility’s dispatch center to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

“You have to be really good about representing the work OPPD is doing and also being sympathetic to customer needs,” Strode said.

During outages, senior account managers seek updates from field workers and OPPD’s dispatch center so they can update clients.

In his phone, Arora has hundreds of customer contacts. Operations directors. Maintenance directors. Budget staffers. Vice presidents.

“It’s imperative for me to know them, know their body language, how they interact,” he said. “That’s the best part of our job, is making sure we have that great relationship with our customers. They trust us. It’s our responsibility to build credibility and make sure we have their back.”

Making improvements

Some customers want to know how to operate more efficiently or reduce their carbon footprint. Senior account managers assist, whether it’s claiming renewable energy credits or adding equipment that wastes less energy.

For major projects, they bring in subject-matter experts from within OPPD – engineers, renewable energy specialists, executives – to coordinate a plan.

If senior account managers notice a lot of customers making the same requests, they can flag those requests for OPPD as a possible focus area.

“We’re always trying to listen,” Strode said. “That way we can make better decisions internally.”

Senior account managers come from diverse backgrounds. Some previously worked with smaller customers. Others are engineers, or former line technicians, or field supervisors, or have marketing and sales expertise. The broad skillset helps solve problems.

“I think our team balances out pretty well,” Strode said. “It’s about bringing people together and being strategic and seeing where you want to go with the customer.”

A tailored approach

Senior account managers help forge partnerships between OPPD and large customers.

Some companies may want to electrify their fleet. Others want energy audits to see if they’re using electricity as efficiently as possible.

Senior account managers create customer action plans, a go-to book with customer backgrounds and their individual needs.

Arora works with many of eastern Nebraska’s major meatpackers, which provide a critical source of food to both Nebraska and the nation.

“If a customer has a power challenge, it’s my responsibility to know exactly what transformer they’re using and how their system operates so we can support them and tackle challenges that arise,” Arora said.

Arora said his mechanical engineering background helps him think critically about problems customers face.

Other senior account managers are masters of research, or land-rights experts, or skilled in computer programming.

“We work together, and we’re not afraid to ask each other for support, and that’s what I love about this group,” Arora said.

Finding a balance

Patience is a must-have skill, and so is a great personality – being extroverted and social enough to build relationships but introverted enough to listen and accept feedback.

“You’ve got to find a balance,” Arora said. “I love my job, I love this team, I love working for OPPD and doing what I do. Is it time consuming? Yes. Is it fun?  Absolutely. We’re doing our best to satisfy our customers. And that’s extremely important to me.”

John Quade, a senior account manager for 12 years, came to the job after working as an electrical service designer and substation electrician for OPPD. His previous trade experience gave him the technical skills that serve him and his customers today.

Through his tenure at OPPD, Quade has built relationships with dispatchers, line crew leaders and others, which helps him get fast updates. On a typical day, he collaborates with other senior account executives, engineers and line crew leaders within OPPD in addition to his outside customers.

“You’ve got to wear multiple hats,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to read people. You learn body language really quick.”

Quade also has convinced customers to invest in technology to improve their reliability, such as automatic throw-over switches, and found efficiencies to save them money.

‘Not just my customers’

“Relationships are probably the most important thing,” Quade said. “I’ve had the same customers for 12 years. I’ve had my customers for so long, they’re not just my customers anymore. They’re my friends. I golf with them. I hang out with them outside of work. When something happens to them, they know I’m on it.”

Quade credited the team’s manager, Jene’ Reese, for guiding and coordinating the group.

“Without her support and direction, the team couldn’t do what we love best, which is to serve our customers,” he said. “She brings the balance and out-of-box thinking that’s needed to insure OPPD exceeds the customers’ expectations.