Lesley Gallinger
President & CEO, the IESO
Ontario’s IESO is preparing for a decarbonized energy future, prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure a reliable and sustainable electricity supply.
Ontario is on the verge of something big: an energy transition with a scope and scale unlike anything witnessed in recent decades. It promises to change the production, transmission, and consumption of electricity and to support the decarbonization of Ontario’s economy.
From its vantage point at the heart of the sector, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is working with partners across the electricity system — and beyond — to drive and guide these changes with a view to ensure Ontario continues to receive a reliable, affordable, and sustainable supply of electricity.
Building a more inclusive culture
At the IESO, we’re channelling these changes into rich and varied individual opportunities for our team members — whether it’s working on innovative projects, honing our skill sets and expertise, or exploring diverse career paths.
“One of the pillars of our corporate strategy is driving business transformation,” says Lesley Gallinger, President and CEO of the IESO. “When the stakes are so high, having a workforce with diverse skills, ideas, and experiences working toward a common goal is essential.”
When the stakes are so high, having a workforce with diverse skills, ideas, and experiences working toward a common goal is essential.
The IESO is on a journey to build a more inclusive culture by creating a workplace where people can realize their full potential, powering change in Indigenous communities, and working alongside industry partners to improve the participation of racialized and other under-represented groups in the electricity sector.
We’ve taken a holistic approach to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), prioritizing learning and development opportunities for all employees, enhancing systems and processes to remove inherent biases, and embedding EDI into elements of our culture, like our organizational strategy and values.
The power of partnerships
Through partnerships with organizations like the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, which provides employees with access to events and research, we’re taking steps today to equip our workforce to plan and operate the power system of tomorrow.
Decarbonization in Ontario could require an electricity system that’s more than double its current size. Managing the energy transition — and ensuring reliability despite the unprecedented transformation — will pose unique challenges to the IESO and our staff. Given the importance of electricity to the well-being of all Ontarians, keeping the lights on isn’t just a priority. It’s a necessity, and a diverse and inclusive workforce is our foundation.
Learn more about how the IESO is driving change in the energy sector at ieso.ca.
