Chair, Chief Executive Officer & President, Allete
Search every verified Bethany Owen interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a September 2021 appearance as part of the University of Minnesota Duluth's Distinguished Speaker Series, Bethany Owen discussed ALLETE's sustainability strategy and her leadership approach. She stated that Minnesota Power, an ALLETE subsidiary, was the first in the state to provide 50% renewable energy to customers and had announced a vision to provide carbon-free energy by 2050. Owen noted that ALLETE had positioned itself for a potential future carbon tax and emphasized the need to ensure that the energy transition does not leave customers behind, pointing to Minnesota Power's lowest residential rates in the state. She also said that ALLETE was one of the few publicly traded companies with a majority-women board of directors and that the company was working to embrace diversity in all forms. Owen described her early actions as CEO, including sending about 50 employees to work remotely at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said was a controversial move at the time. She stated that following the killing of George Floyd, she sent an email to all employees expressing her feelings of sadness and frustration and committed to seeking out and listening to others in the community. Owen characterized leadership as being about serving others and said she holds regular CEO chats where employees can ask questions. She added that ALLETE was recruiting people who are passionate, lifelong learners, and committed to integrity.
“At the beginning of last year, just weeks into my role as CEO, we made the decision to send about 50 of our employees to work remotely to keep them safe and protect those who had to be on site, even though it was a controversial move at the time. I was determined to learn from other CEOs whose co-workers were in intens...”
“Our strategy is called sustainability in action, focused on sustainability in all its dimensions. Minnesota Power is the first in the state to provide 50% renewable energy to customers and has announced a vision to provide carbon-free energy by 2050. We are taking concrete actions to create a more sustainable present a...”
“We are one of the very few publicly traded companies with a board of directors that is majority women, which is rare in the energy industry. Gender diversity is not new for us, but we are working hard to embrace diversity in all forms across the company and the board.”
“Following the killing of George Floyd, I sent an email to all employees sharing my feelings of sadness, horror, frustration, and even rage. I acknowledged I don't have all the answers but committed that we would seek out and listen to others in our communities to do more to make the world a better place.”
“If there were to be a carbon tax in the future, I believe we've positioned ALLETE and its business units in a way that it will not be a significant challenge. This has been on our leaders' minds for a long time as part of our positioning for a carbon-reduced future.”
“Leadership is always about other people. My job is to clear the brush out in front of talented people and let them run within their boundaries and values. If you want to be a leader, it has to be about serving others, not about the title, salary, or glory.”
“We have to be really careful with the energy transition to ensure that we are not leaving customers behind. Minnesota Power has the lowest residential rates in the state, and we want to maintain safe, reliable, and affordable energy for all.”
“I have CEO chats on a regular basis where all employees are invited to ask questions. These sessions help me stay connected with people throughout the organization and avoid feeling isolated in my leadership role.”
“We are in a pivotal time in history where businesses have a responsibility to make communities better places to live and work for everyone. The clean energy transformation must be done with commitment and care for our communities, customers, and employees.”
“We are recruiting people who are passionate, lifelong learners, committed to growing with us as we navigate the future. Integrity is non-negotiable, and we value people who bring diverse strengths to our team.”
The spring 2021 Distinguished Speaker Series featured Bethany Owen, President and Chief Executive Officer of ALLETE, Inc. on ...
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