"Leading with Strength & Courage"

Rachel Anderson has successfully transformed many construction operations companies to be more efficient and cost-effective while building a culture of teamwork. The VP of Centralized Operations for Zenernet oversees all operations for a rapidly-growing clean energy company as well as the construction side of the company. When she came into this role at Zenernet, the company had been so phenomenally successful on the sales side that it had outgrown the capacity of the operations side to deliver. Since she joined Zenernet at the beginning of 2022, she has completely revamped the operations department, bringing in new staff and putting new procedures in place to handle the workload, and making the department truly cohesive - which was a challenge since Zenernet is a “virtual” company with almost all of their sales and operations staff working remotely.

Being one of the few female leaders in solar construction, Rachel feels like she is paving the way. “I hope that by being visible I can give confidence to other women in the broader industry that they can achieve and rise through the ranks,” she says. “Proving every day that women can be successful in this profession. Since coming on board I also helped found a “Women of Zenernet” program for leadership development and to help the women on our staff network and get to know each other, which can be more difficult in a company with a distributed remote workforce, and I’m thrilled with the response we’ve had so far.”

Rachel has been through two bouts with cancer, but that did not stop her from advancing her career because she knew that she wasn’t just working for herself but for the women who would come after her, trying to break into traditionally male-dominated fields. “I think it’s so important for there to be a strong female presence in the renewable energy sector in particular because we need female voices heard to build a future that’s truly sustainable for everyone,” elucidates the steadfast leader. “So I would encourage any young women considering their future careers to give solar and renewables a second look, because there are few fields where you can make a bigger impact, and you can be a part of changing the perception of in these traditionally male-dominated fields just as solar is disrupting the energy industry as a whole.”

Rachel has been in this industry for 15 years, and to be successful, she had to learn and be an expert in every aspect of the business. “My advice would be to soak up all the knowledge about every aspect of the business that you possibly can and make yourself invaluable. I learned that for my voice to be heard, I had to prove what I knew whereas a male colleague might simply get the assumption or benefit of the doubt that he has the expertise to actually back up what he’s saying,” she states. “I want to make sure it’s clear, out of all of the leadership positions I’ve been in, Zenernet is the one where I have been the most welcomed and where I never felt that I was treated any differently or as anything less than equal as an executive.” Armed with this unique mindset, Rachel took the company towards productivity.

Zenernet is trying to get solar on as many rooftops as possible across America and become the first truly nationally-known brand in the solar industry. “To do that we have to continue to raise our game in the operations and installation area. We’ve made great strides just in the first quarter of 2022 and the feedback we’re getting from customers shows that, but we’re not satisfied yet,” adds Rachel. “on energy - we're here to help them get it. We have the expertise to guide homeowners through the complexities of renewable technology and gain access to its many benefits; from financial savings to environmental impact to a more comfortable everyday lifestyle. We're committed to delivering the best customer experience in solar, and we're excited to continue helping homeowners achieve energy independence.” WL