Francis Bradley, President & CEO, Electricity Canada
Francis Bradley, President & CEO, Electricity Canada
Francis Bradley’s journey to his current role as President & CEO at Electricity Canada began outside of the electrical sector altogether. Driven by a passion for international politics, particularly in the middle east, Francis was led to an early career in oil and gas. When the opportunity later presented itself to transition to electricity Francis seized it and hasn’t looked back, continuing to hit his stride in the electrical space for close to 4 decades.
Evolution at Electricity Canada
Having started as the Canadian Electrical Association and evolving over time to Electricity Canada as it is known today, Francis has been along for a significant part of the journey, evolving himself throughout the ride. He has experienced various roles in the organization from early beginnings in polling/public opinion research, to operational and executive leadership and everything in between. Having had exposure to multiple diverse roles throughout his career development at EC is something that Francis has appreciated, as it has awarded him with an intimate understanding of the organization and all of the different parts and pieces that need to work together to make it successful.
When asked what energizes Francis in his role in the day-to-day, he insists it simply comes down to the team he feels fortunate to work with. Being able to support a group of talented, impressive individuals from across the country and watch them grow and develop is a big part of what he enjoys as is knowing that their team is working together in a sector that is critically important for our future. He highlights that given we are on a decarbonization path, increased electrification goes hand in hand with that so recognizing that you are playing a role in the big picture is particularly rewarding. He adds that it is really an exciting time to be working in this sector, and it will be interesting to see what is to come with the recent change in government and the impact that will have with the demand curve for electrical infrastructure.
WiRE & Industry-Inspiring Women
Francis’s familiarity with WiRE began as it does for many – a quick friendship with founder and CEO, Joanna Osawe. Over the years he says he has continued to follow the work being done by the organization and notes the amazing benefits he has seen it have on the energy community. In terms of his own experience with women in renewable energy, he credits female executive trailblazers like Gianna Manes, former CEO of ENMAX and Josée Guibord, former CEO of Evolugen for mentoring him on what it means to be a great CEO, and to appreciate the weight that executive position holds. He says it is one thing to know the sector, but another entirely to step into a role where the buck stops and they are terrific leaders for any industry executive to look up to and learn from to navigate that.
Closing Thoughts
When it comes to being an ally for underrepresented groups in the energy industry, Francis makes a point of ensuring he is continuously listening and learning from those around him. One avenue he has created for this is through his podcast “Flux Capacitor” (a must listen!) that regularly highlights prominent female leaders in the industry, with dedicated annual female guest “take-over” episodes on International Women’s Day. He notes when he began in the field nearly 40 years ago, it was far less representative of the population it served than it is today, though it is a journey we need to continue travel and work on. It became clear to Francis early on that when building teams, you need to make sure they are representative of the communities around you, otherwise the end result is a bland, homogeneous view of the world that he says simply doesn’t serve the broader ecosystem. When you bring in diversity, it makes for a richer decision-making environment, and an enriched setting overall for people to work and companies to succeed.
Learn More about Electricity Canada
Listen to the Flux Capacitor Podcast
Article Written by Ashley Lawrence
