Performance Powers Trust: The New Outage Playbook
Customer trust is earned through consistent utility performance from routine blue-sky outages to major events. This interactive session explores how utilities connect situational awareness, hazard reporting, crew-safety intelligence, employee callouts, operational data and customer communications to improve outage response. Through panel discussion and live Utility Pulse questions, attendees will examine how earlier awareness and connected information help utilities make better decisions, mobilize the right resources, protect employees and provide customers and community stakeholders with credible, timely information when performance matters most.
Speakers:
- Ian Rinehart, Vice President, Ad Hoc Group
Ian Rinehart is a Vice President at The Ad Hoc Group, a specialized advisory firm that helps energy innovators navigate regulated markets, build utility partnerships, and scale solutions. Working at the intersection of utility strategy, emerging technology and regulation, Ian brings a practical understanding of how innovation moves from concept to industry adoption. Over more than 15 years in the energy sector, Ian has served as an entrepreneur, product leader, consultant, and utility advisor. At Opower, Ian helped deliver energy-efficiency solutions to enterprise utilities and more than five million customers while experiencing the company’s growth from startup through IPO and acquisition by Oracle. A Fulbright Scholar and Clean Energy Leadership Institute Fellow, Ian brings a valuable perspective on how utilities evaluate, adopt, and scale innovation.
- Candice Knezevic, Managing Director of Customer Marketing & Communications, Duke Energy
Candice Knezevic is Managing Director of Customer Marketing & Communications at Duke Energy, where she leads enterprise marketing and customer communication strategies that strengthen customer relationships, drive engagement and support business growth. She is also responsible for the customer experience during outages—from routine, localized interruptions to major events—helping ensure customers receive accurate, consistent and timely information whether they are viewing the outage map, receiving a text notification or calling the contact center. With expertise spanning customer experience, marketing, communications and organizational transformation, Candice partners across the company to deliver customer-focused solutions that build trust, improve satisfaction and create measurable value for customers and the business.
- Roderick Batteaux, Manager of Customer Communication Products, CenterPoint Energy
Roderick Batteaux is Manager of Customer Communication Products at CenterPoint Energy, where he leads initiatives that support outage communications and customer engagement. With more than a decade at CenterPoint, he has helped design and improve customer notification systems, coordinate cross-functional projects, lead multiple product teams, and strengthen communication across operational and digital channels. Previously, he managed the company’s Power Alert Service program, analyzing outage and customer data to identify service improvements and support storm response communications. Batteaux brings deep experience in product management, customer communications, analytics, and operational coordination within the utility industry.
- Jennifer Neiswonger, Director of Customer Experience, Duquesne Light Company
Jennifer Neiswonger is Director of Customer Experience at Duquesne Light Company, where she leads teams focused on customer strategy, experience, insights, and technology. With more than 20 years of experience in customer loyalty, marketing, and experience leadership, she is passionate about building trust and strengthening relationships through exceptional service. Jennifer has helped advance key initiatives that enhance the customer experience, including outage communications, proactive notifications, and digital engagement tools. She is committed to helping utilities improve the outage experience through timely communications, actional insights, and customer-centered innovation.”
- Bob Flaherty, Chief Operating Officer, DataCapable
Bob Flaherty is Chief Operating Officer at DataCapable, where he leads strategy, product, delivery, partnerships and Client Success. He brings more than 30 years of utility-industry experience, including senior leadership roles at Locusview, Trimble and Oracle Utilities, as well as serving as CIO for a utility technology company. Throughout his career, Bob has helped utilities use technology and connected information to improve operations, strengthen customer outcomes and navigate industry transformation. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
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