Q & A with Roderick West

President & CEO, Entergy New Orleans

Roderick "Rod" K. West (right) took over the helm as President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans, Inc. The 38-year-old serves as the company head as the city rebuilds after Hurricane Katrina, the nation's worst natural disaster. Prior to becoming president, he served as director of Entergy New Orleans' Metro Distribution Operations since 2003, and previously served as director of Regulatory Affairs. Prior to joining Entergy Corp. in 1999 as senior regulatory counsel, West was senior attorney in the law office of Vial, Hamilton, Koch and Knox, LLP, having previously spent five years with the New Orleans-based firm of Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, L.L.P.

West earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1990, a Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane University School of Law in 1993, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Tulane’s Freeman School of Business in 2005.He has extensive roots in New Orleans and is a dedicated civic leader for the community. He serves as chairman of the Louisiana State University System's Board of Supervisors, vice president of the Ernest H. Morial Convention Center Board of Commissioners, commissioner of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, and is a past chairman of New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. He is a board member of the Allstate Sugar Bowl and Greater New Orleans, Inc., and a former board member of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN: As the CEO of Entergy, give our readers a brief background on your current position and responsibilities?

WEST: As CEO, it is my job to develop and execute a strategic plan to advance Entergy New Orleans' mission and objectives which are to promote revenue, profitability, and growth. I am ultimately responsible for managing company operations to insure production efficiency, quality, customer service, and cost-effective management of resources. In the end, my challenge is to achieve the aforementioned objectives while balancing the respective interests of my primary stakeholders, namely my shareholders, employees, customers, regulators, and community/environment.

TBC: Can you give us a brief profile of Entergy New Orleans, Inc.?

WEST: Entergy New Orleans, Inc., a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, is an electric and gas utility serving the City of New Orleans. Formed in the early 1900s as New Orleans Public Service Inc., or NOPSI, the company originally provided gas and electric service and maintained the streetcar and bus lines. Although the company
eventually relinquished operation of the streetcar and bus lines, our job is to provide safe, reliable power at reasonable costs. In other words, we keep the lights on and the gas flowing in New Orleans. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Entergy New Orleans provided electricity to approximately 200,000 customers and natural gas to nearly 150,000 customers in New Orleans.

TBC: How do you handle job stress, especially in a city recovering from Hurricane Katrina?

WEST: I believe surrounding oneself with competent people who also possess a positive attitude reduces the incidence of stress. However, exercise is my primary means of handling job stress. Prayer is always a good idea.

TBC: You made a transition from a law practice to Entergy in regulatory litigation and later director of regulatory affairs. What experiences helped you make that transition?

WEST: My training and work experience as a lawyer honed my ability to process information for the express purpose of anticipating and solving problems. In legal research and writing parlance the acronym was IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion). The ability to identify relevant Issues, apply the appropriate Rules, and perform critical Analysis for the purpose of arriving at supportable Conclusions is the cornerstone of both the study and practice of law as well as managing a successful business enterprise. The ability to communicate effectively, whether orally or in writing, and to think critically is transferable to any discipline.

TBC: Were you mentored and how did it assist you in your climb up the corporate ladder?

WEST: From my parents and teachers to my Little League, high school and college coaches, I sought out mentors every step of the way. As an aspiring young African-American professional, I knew I needed mentors if I wanted to achieve my personal goals. Conventional wisdom suggested that my mentors would be limited to only those from within the African-American community. However, I would discover that my quest to learn sometimes meant developing mentoring relationships outside of my comfort zone, i.e, outside the African-American community. I was not shy about reaching out to people who were doing the types of things I thought I might like to do, no matter who they were or where they came from. If you don't know what those who came before you accomplished, you have very little idea of what you're capable of achieving.

TBC: Tell us about your early years immediately following college graduation. Did you have a clear career path?

WEST: After my academic and athletic career ended at Notre Dame, I knew law school would be my next step. My career path was to become a great lawyer and businessman. The path was not always clear because I had no one in my family or immediate environment who had a point of reference for what I was dreaming about. I sought out mentors along the way who helped me define my path with more clarity. I knew that in order to become a great lawyer, I had to spend time honing my craft under experienced veterans. Not only did my early years in the practice of law give me guidance on what I wanted to do, but perhaps more importantly, I learned what I did not want to do as well. There's no greater clarity in your career than the moment when you learn that you've identified something that you definitely DON'T want to spend the rest of your career/life doing.

TBC: As a 38-year-old at the helm of a major corporation, what advice do you have for students who aspire to rise to the top in business?

WEST: My advice is rather straight forward. Success comes before "work" in only one place — the dictionary. Going to school and earning undergraduate and advanced degrees does not say to the workplace that you are smarter than another person. Those degrees demonstrate that you have the desire, ability, and work ethic to learn and adapt to new things. That is the greatest asset you will bring to a potential
employer — or to your own business.

TBC: Does Entergy offer an internship program, and if so how do students apply?

WEST: Entergy offers internships in a variety of different disciplines. Intern jobs are posted online at www.entergy.com/ careers/job postings. Students should complete the application, post their resumé, and apply for the job using a requisition number based on their interest.

TBC: What attributes do recruiters look for in new candidates at Entergy?

WEST: Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company. What the term "integrated" means in this context is that the company owns and operates Generation (Power Plants), Transmission (Interstate Transmission Lines), and Distribution Assets (companies that deliver the power to individual customers) together. At every level, Entergy is looking for bright, energetic, and enthusiastic employees from every discipline or field of study. As I've stated earlier, students who perform well in school demonstrate an ability to learn new things. Whether in nuclear engineering or human relations and customer service, the utility business demands that employees, both new and experienced, demonstrate a desire and a capacity to learn, unlearn, and relearn.

TBC: What campus experiences should students take advantage of to prepare for their transition from campus life to jobs or entrepreneurship?

WEST: The difference between where you are today and where you will be five years from now will be driven by the books you read and the people you meet. It is critically important to take care of the books component of the equation in school; however, taking advantage of the opportunity to meet people who are actually doing the things you might have an interest in brings your coursework to life. It is very difficult for some college students to take the initiative to reach out to professionals to ask the type of questions TBC has asked of me. Remember that every professional was at some point a student, and most of us remember all too well the anxiety associated with figuring out what we wanted to do with our careers. Work with your campus career development professionals.

TBC: Who are the top African Americans at Entergy, and what positions do they hold?

WEST: William Madison, Senior Vice President Human Resources, Daniel F. Packer, Chairman, former President and CEO Entergy New Orleans, Theo Bunting, Vice-President/CFO Nuclear Operations, Marcus Brown, Deputy General Counsel, Entergy Services, and Tracie Boutte, V.P. Regulatory and Governmental Affairs, Entergy New Orleans, just to name a few.

TBC: How important is diversity at Entergy, and are there any programs to support this initiative?

WEST: A cornerstone of Entergy's culture is respect, respect for every individual regardless of race, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or any other cultural factor. Diversity is second only to safety in our business. "Tolerance" is insufficient in this organization that values the differences among its nearly 14,000 employees.

TBC: Diversity is second only to safety at Entergy?

WEST: The mission of Entergy is to create a winning culture that can only be achieved in an environment that fosters creativity, productivity and mutual respect of all people. At Entergy, we recognize that diversity is a business imperative that helps to achieve business results. We understand that in order to be a leader, not only in our industry but also across all businesses, we go beyond simply accepting "equal opportunity" as a legal requirement. We value and embrace diversity as a strategic competitive advantage. We are a "melting pot," not only of ideas, but also of various races, religions, languages, and cultural groups. We are collectively stronger through an inclusive culture, and Entergy is committed to not only create and maintain, but also leverage and value the richness of a diverse workforce so that every employee has an equal opportunity to contribute in significant ways to the effectiveness of the organization. Our employees are highly regarded for valuing others and promoting the right of every person to reach his or her full potential; that means integrating our values into our daily interactions and behaviors.

Entergy has worked to attract diverse applicants through its college recruiting efforts and relationships with minority professional organizations. The company aggressively targets candidates from historically black colleges and offers internships and co-ops to diverse students. Through partnerships with organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, Entergy attracts top professional talent from diverse backgrounds. Entergy's 20-plus diversity and inclusion councils comprised of employees from each business unit inside and outside of management, address diversity issues at each level of the company. Entergy has developed diversity training seminars specific to the company's culture and needs. These programs represent the cooperative efforts of Entergy and J. Howard and Associates, a leading provider of diversity and human resource development solutions. Moreover, Entergy's efforts have brought success and recognition, with numerous company employees from diverse backgrounds receiving recognition for their leadership and accomplishments.

TBC: What do you do to maintain balance between work and your personal life?

WEST: I have a beautiful wife and daughter. Without their support, I could not possibly do the things I do. By the same token, I have to make sure I take time out for them as well. The greatest challenge professionally is to keep in mind that our jobs/work/business is simply what we do for a living — its not what defines who we are as people. There are many demands on my time whether from my work or my civic responsibilities, but keeping my family and my faith at the cornerstone of my identity and/or sense of self helps keep work in perspective.

TBC: Are there any parting words of wisdom that you would want to send 2007 graduates off with?

WEST: When we were 8-10 years old, and someone asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, we usually answered that we wanted to be doctors, lawyers, scientists, professional athletes, etc., whatever idea of success we could conjure. As we matured, we discovered what it actually takes to achieve those long-term goals (it usually began with hard work). When faced with the reality of what it would take to achieve those goals, we tended to respond in one of two ways: We either resolved ourselves to paying the price to be great or, all too often, we lowered our level of expectation so as not to have to change anything about our work ethic or comfort zone. Resist the temptation to lower your expectation when faced with the challenge and resolve yourself to paying the price to be great. Success is never on sale.