James Gidley

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT JAMES GIDLEY

Adept at Problem-Solving and Value-Generation by blending Mechanical, Structural, and Electrical EngineeringIn their 2021 Power Generation/Renewable Energy white paper, Project Board’s, Engineering.com,(as do many industry thought leaders), predict that the coming decade will see faster replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy, new utility-scale battery storage technologies, and greater digitalization in modernizing aging power grids.Furthermore, a look back at my career demonstrates the dynamic nature of engineering in meeting sustainable energy future needs. After initially entertaining a career as an artist, I studied mechanical thermo fluids and machine design before embarking on a 20-year career where I gained fluency in medium-to-high voltage electrical systems, heavy manufacturing; and utility-scale construction, generation, and maintenance of power systems. Moreover, given the need for translating the technical and business aspects of power generation, I took an MBA in Technology Management to further enhance my engineering project management and people leadership.To that end, I balance creative and technical perspectives with the business-sense to focus on high-priority efforts vs always jumping to solving everything at once. I am a Scientist, Engineer, and Business-Savvy communicator adept at managing the duality of technical feasibility and commercial viability and fact-based strategy/operations + interpersonal relationship-building.I bring a focus on adding business value while inspiring others to do the same, employing lean/kaizen principles to routine processes to bring clarity on adding value and reducing unnecessary steps. As a people leader, I lead a blend of experienced and early-career engineers in ensuring resource alignment and for quick continuous improvement or drive finalized long term value-add solutions. Furthermore, colleagues often consult with me on viability, feasibility, and desirability of solutions. They are intrigued by James the extroverted engineer – he looks at your shoes instead of his shoes when he is thinking!