Bethany Owen on social justice
From Spring 2021 Distinguished Speaker Series with Bethany Owen · · UMD Labovitz School of Business and Economics
“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.”
On , Bethany Owen, Chair, Chief Executive Officer & President at ALLETE INC, spoke about social justice during Spring 2021 Distinguished Speaker Series with Bethany Owen on UMD Labovitz School of Business and Economics.
About Bethany Owen
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.