PUC Services - President & CEO

PUC Services Inc. is a utility services company operating as a wholly owned private company of the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie. PUC Services manages the assets and business of PUC Distribution Inc., manages the city’s water treatment and distribution system and operates the City’s two wastewater treatment plants under multi-year contracts. PUC Services also provides billing and customer care services and manages the operations of Espanola Regional Hydro under multi-year contracts. Water and wastewater services are also provided to several communities and organizations in the Algoma District:  (https://www.algomacountry.com/cities-towns/sault-ste-marie/) 

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Our new President & CEO will be challenged to demonstrate sound leadership and strategic expertise to articulate and advance the company’s vision, mission and objectives. This position is responsible for the effective long-term delivery of financial, operational , safety, customer, community and government key results.

The President & CEO will be a strategic and innovative leader who will quickly earn credibility in the eyes of the Board and stakeholders and continue the evolution and growth of PUC Services for long-term sustainability. The President & CEO will bring a successful track record of cultural change management at a senior leadership level. Their success will be amplified by an entrepreneurial spirit, strong interpersonal skills and a uncompromising commitment to safety.

We are seeking a seasoned leader with demonstrated expertise and a proven track record in the following critical attributes and skills:

Strategic Agility
We want a leader who has a clear vision of where they want to take the company, based upon accurately anticipating future consequences and trends and creating a credible path forward that all stakeholders embrace

Intellectual Horsepower
We have a company staffed with exceptional and talented employees. Therefore we need an intelligent, dynamic and articulate leader who can present complex concepts and strategic objectives that challenge our staff to excel in making them reality.

Managing our Vision and Purpose
Engagement occurs when our senior executive communicates a compelling and inspired vision of what we can become, shows all the possibilities of what can be done and motivates everyone to achieve the milestones to drive the organization forward.

Dealing with Ambiguity
The industries we compete in are dynamic and ever-changing. Therefore we need someone who is comfortable managing risk and uncertainty while shifting directions comfortably base upon best available information. The success of the incumbent is evidenced by keeping our stakeholders and employees engaged and focused on the necessary outcomes.

Dealing with Paradox
Our Corporate strategies may change as the industry and political forces and stakeholder expectations evolve. This requires the President and CEO to be astute and flexible when adopting to a shifting landscape. Often times their actions will seem contradictory to others and therefore they will be required to articulate the rationale for pursuing conflicting demands. This often requires a skill set of self-confidence and advanced persuasion skills and requires the incumbent to exercise situational leadership to balance these paradoxes.

Exemplary Ethics and Values
We are very much an ethics and values based organization. It starts with the Board and must be driven throughout the company. The incumbent must endorse and live our values and exhibit ethical judgment and action in every situation. On this point, we are uncompromising.

Building Effective Teams
We know that our strategic plan and ultimate success depends upon blending various skill sets, personalities and ideologies into an effective team. Only when we have the hearts of our employees will we have their minds. Our strength and sense of team must be nurtured so that we collectively share in our successes through accountability for work performance, open and honest dialogue and a sense of belonging.

Interpersonal Savvy
Our stakeholders are diverse, their needs are unique and their expectations of us must be managed and achieved. Therefore our President and CEO must effectively engage with all stakeholders by building rapport and trust, acting constructively and exhibiting diplomacy and tact when addressing matters.

Political Savvy
We are a regulated industry so the incumbent must effectively engage with various levels of government and departments to maneuver through complex political situations. This often requires an ability to see ahead and anticipate the roadblocks and opportunities that their plans and actions will incur. 

KEY DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Sets corporate strategic direction and policy making with recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval;
• Lead organizational and cultural development to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, while maintaining transparency and strong relationships with staff, business partners and stakeholders
• Ensures that senior management develops sound operational plans and that projects are resourced to execute within budget guidelines, setting reasonable stretch targets that encourage positive growth of the organization;
• Sets the design, ensures the implementation and evaluates the success of rolling multi-year business plans, including revenues, gross margin and operating expenses;
• Engages external stakeholders in the community in the vision of the organization by appropriately incorporating feedback into strategic plans for the betterment of the organization;
• Provides an assertive, pro-active representation of organizational interests to municipal and provincial government, regulatory agencies and the utility industry;
• Manages corporate investment and acquisition strategy through internal evaluation via board-level recommendation;
• Monitors and assesses capital needs as well as operations, maintenance, and administration activities to develop cost estimates for annual and long-term budgets.
• Ensures that corporate risks are identified, assessed and contingencies developed to ensure that risks to the organization can be mitigated wherever possible to minimize negative financial and reputational impacts on the organization.
• Communicates with the Board to ensure the disclosure of factual information to provide strong governance;
• Ensures that succession plans are developed and maintained for all key positions in the organization;
• Ensures staff adhere to all health and safety requirements prescribed by law, the company and regulatory bodies;

QUALIFICATIONS

• Possess a university degree in Engineering, Business or related discipline together with a minimum of ten years of significant progressive management experience in a capital intensive industry;
• Experience successfully working with and reporting to a Board of Directors and a history of delivering value to shareholders;
• Demonstrated leadership capability to set the desired and culture as per the Strategic Plan and coach and develop a senior management team to higher performance levels
• Demonstrated business planning ability from situational evaluation through strategic design through detailed operating plans;
• Financial acumen and planning, excellent interpersonal, communication, presentation, organizational and public relations skills, including experience dealing with the media;
• Able to work collegially, but effectively through others and build strong professional relationships across the company and industry;
• Effective project planning skills including the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of capital projects led by others;

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Please send your resume in confidence to Larry Sartor at larry@sartorandassociates.com; reference in the subject line: "PUC Services President & CEO”

Only those applicants selected for an initial interview will be contacted. Thank you for your understanding.