Under Forty: Flavia Lenzi

The pandemic didn't stop these luminaries from the energy and utilities space from innovating in all types of technologies. Ninety individuals sprang into action, creating new tools or strategies to better serve their colleagues and communities. This year, PUF is celebrating these ninety Under Forties.
 

PUF's Steve Mitnick: What is it like for a young woman who has had a great career so far, to be at ENGIE?

Flavia Lenzi: ENGIE is a multinational working all over the world. We aim to be the leader of the energy transition, so we have a strong purpose. I feel that working here, it is what we live, feel, and trust.

What I feel working here is to be on board in this company; to have many colleagues that trust what they do. They trust that we can have an impact on society, and they feel that what we do makes sense.

It's been almost ten years since I started here. But I've not lost the energy and commitment of my first days. It's the most important thing I feel every day.

It's a company in which young people can work, put their energy toward a common goal, and can be trusted and empowered. It's the same for women.

We are not at the company headquarters, because that is in France where ENGIE is a market leader. We are strong in Italy, but we are a big challenger. Being a challenger makes daily working life engaging, challenging, and dynamic. We never get bored.

PUF: What is your job, and what do you do on a typical day?

Flavia Lenzi: I deal with marketing at the three hundred and sixty degree view. I've started with a focus on pricing, then I increased my perimeter to include offering development, customer experience, and customer value management. For every new offer for customers, we work on the pricing and strategy, on offer ideation and go to market, including planning of the communication campaigns.

In ENGIE, we work a lot on customer engagement and customer value, trying always to be a real customer centric company. For example, in 2020 we launched a brand new mobile app, including different customer engagement programs in order to create a long-term relationship with customers.

We run monthly marketing campaigns, retention campaigns on our customer base; the aim is to preserve the customer base, maximize satisfaction, and increase the customer value.

I don't have a typical day. I have a team of six people, so everyone has his or her own duties, but the idea is that I deal with the customer life cycle. It's quite interesting because every day is different.

PUF: How did your background lead you to this role?

Flavia Lenzi: I'm a graduate in Management of Public Administration and International Institutions at Bocconi University in Milan. One of the main topics I was interested in was the management of public service and the role of public utilities. For this reason, I spent a semester abroad in Norway, at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration because I was interested in earning my master's in energy and natural resources.

The Norwegian School of Economics has a great master's program. I could attend five courses, such as natural resources and climate change, petroleum and natural gas economics, and energy industries. It was quite technical at the end, but inspiring.

After graduation, I was sure I wanted to work on the energy sector. Since the beginning, I knew I would work in this sector and I'll try to stay in this field throughout my career.

PUF: Where do you think this industry is going? Are you optimistic?

Flavia Lenzi: Yes. Sustainability eight to ten years ago was a matter of only energy players in the market. It was our main domain, and our challenge. Now every brand, and every company deals with sustainability.

Whether you deal with fashion, production of food, beverage, transport, or whatever, every company has to deal with sustainability. Also, customers have changed a lot. Ten years ago, five years ago, three years ago, they were not aware of what they were consuming, the impact of consumption in their daily lives, and the lifestyle consumption of sustainability.

Now they are aware, they are interested, and this is the point, that the young people and the young generations care more than ever. They are totally different from us, from my generation as well. I'm optimistic for these two reasons.

PUF: What advice would you give to young people, just starting their careers?

Flavia Lenzi: There is an important attitude that cannot be acquired during university, of the full empowerment that comes from work. This means passion, enthusiasm, and curiosity.

Nowadays we are used to having a quick and fast approach, but young professionals should not be superficial and take anything for granted.
 

2021 Fortnightly Under Forty conversations:

• Shivani Sidhar, Sempra Energy
• Devin James, Edison Electric Institute
• Jace Carlock, Entergy
• John Siefert, Electric Power Research Institute
• Amanda Olson, Burns & McDonnell
• Ali Mohammed, New York Power Authority
• Justin Segall, Uplight
• Brandon Pixley, CPS Energy
• Stephanie Crawford, NRECA
• Kristjana Kellgren, Alberta Utilities Commission
• Flavia Lenzi, ENGIE Italia
• Patrick Wruck, British Columbia UC
• Müge Özerten, Hitachi ABB Power Grids
• Aki Marceau, Hawaiian Electric