Generac Power Systems Hires Jennifer Anderson as Executive VP; Responsibilities Include Sustainability

Generac Power Systems has hired Jennifer Anderson (pictured above) as executive vice president of global corporate strategy & development. Anderson -- who has chief sustainability officer (CSO) experience-- will also lead the power product company's environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) efforts.

Here are four things to know about Jennifer Anderson's experience, and Generac's sustainability strategy.

1. Business Scope and Scale: Generac, founded in 1959, is based in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The company develops backup power generation products for residential, light commercial and industrial markets. Net sales were $4.02 billion in 2023, down 12% from 2022. As of December 31, 2023, the company had roughly 8,600 employees.

2. Sustainability Strategy: Generac in 2022 hired a third-party ESG consulting firm to "help identify the relative importance of specific ESG topics and to further guide our ESG priorities and strategy," the company said. As of April 2023, the company was "planning to set internal targets and metrics to manage climate risks and opportunities" while also developing a "long-term roadmap for phasing our progress." (We don't know if that roadmap has been completed and publicly published.)

3. Jennifer Anderson's Experience: Anderson succeeds 34-year Generac veteran and chief strategy officer, Steve Goran, who retired in March 2024.

Anderson previously was senior vice president of strategy, development and chief sustainability officer (CSO) at Carrier Corp. Earlier, she held key posts at Tyson Foods, Johnson Controls, and Eaton Corp., according to her LinkedIn bio.

Anderson's career experience could serve her and Generac well as the company seeks to potentially set Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 carbon emissions goals. Indeed, Carrier is a leading HVAC company that's focused heavily on energy efficiency. Johnson Controls has bet a major portion of its business on sustainability. And Eaton is a major global power management provider.

4. Executive Perspectives: In a prepared statement, Generac President and CEO Aaron Jagdfeld said: "Jennifer will be instrumental in leading Generac's strategic planning process and helping to identify and drive new areas of growth for the company. We are excited to have her join the team and are looking forward to leveraging her extensive experience across corporate strategy, business development and sustainability."

Added Anderson: "I'm excited to be joining Generac as I believe it's uniquely positioned to continue its strong growth and leadership in energy technology. I'm looking forward to partnering with the team to bring the next evolution of more resilient, efficient and sustainable energy solutions to markets around the world."

Generac and Sustainability: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.