NRG Energy

Winner CEF Leadership Program (2019)

Chief Sustainability Officer

Lynda leads the company’s sustainability strategy. Lynda and her team collaborate with stakeholders across the company to drive initiatives and create opportunities that advance a cleaner energy future for NRG and our customers. In her eleven years at NRG, Lynda has been recognized for her innovative work at the intersection of sustainability and energy. Here, she has led market-facing teams dedicated to sustainability advisory, renewable energy brokerage, and commercial and new product innovation, including carbon offsets. Lynda also ran an incubator for growing businesses and early-stage opportunities within NRG Business. Lynda started her career as an analyst with an investment bank. She then spent eight years at Enron, where she initiated the weather derivatives business as well as the SO2 and NOx emissions trading desk. In 2000, Lynda co-founded and was COO of XL Weather and Energy (a division of XL Capital Ltd), a trading and insurance company based in Connecticut. She also co-founded and was the former President of the Weather Risk Management Association. Lynda serves as Vice Chair of EVolve Houston, a public-private partnership for transportation electrification. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and French from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Finance from Tulane University.

Senior Vice President, Administration and Corporate Affairs 

Gin oversees communications, marketing, sustainability, philanthropy, and talent & culture. She leads this diverse and talented group with a focus on building a well-rounded company culture and employee experience, shaping external thought leadership, enhancing customer experiences, advancing corporate reputation, and driving business growth. She has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, and business development, with a strong foundation of more than 10 years in the global energy industry. She previously held roles in energy and cleantech startups, including the development of large-scale solar and distributed energy projects. An active member of the community, Gin is a board member of Houston Area Women’s Center. She also serves on the advisory board for the Hawthorn Club for Executive Women in Energy and Tech and is a member of the Chief Marketing Officer Council. Gin holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia.

Director, Sustainability Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement 

Laura is a skilled leader with a passion for solving complex problems and a belief in the power of businesses to drive positive change. With over a decade of experience in the energy industry, Laura is responsible for investor engagement, corporate disclosures, and developing comprehensive sustainability strategies that deliver tangible business value. Before joining the corporate sustainability team, Laura was the Director of Corporate Communications at NRG, where she oversaw communications related to corporate reputation, executive thought leadership, finance, government and regulatory affairs, issues management, and sustainability.  She holds a degree in Sustainability from Arizona State University. She stays at the forefront of sustainability and energy market trends, advancing the energy transition and inspiring others to join her in building a more resilient future.

Director, Corporate Sustainability

As a two-decade veteran of sustainable energy markets, Joanna has persevered through challenges and celebrated many milestones along the transition to a decarbonized energy ecomy. Joanna currently serves as Director in NRG’s corporate sustainability team, bringing tenured experience connecting customers with invative solutions by translating broad carbon reduction goals into specific business strategies. Previously, Joanna held various leadership roles with Green Mountain Energy, an NRG subsidiary, where she built and directed the nation’s leading utility green power program by fortifying the intersection between regulatory frameworks, financial markets, renewable supply, product development, and consumer demand. On personal time, Joanna voluntarily provides emergency response security and dispatch for local music and arts events, and regularly participates in tree planting and beach clean-up efforts. She also enjoys music, dancing, organic gardening, outdoor recreation, and traveling with her family – especially while promoting her nine-year-old daughter’s wonder of the world alongside her awareness of stewardship.

Director, Sustainability Advisory

Greg leads a team of sustainability advisors that assists clients in driving their organizations toward a cleaner energy future. He has two decades of experience in strategic analysis, financial modeling, and project management with a sustainability focus. Greg has a strong background in public-private partnerships, smart grid assets, climate risk, and utility regulatory policy. He has presented on the future of the grid to public and private sector audiences throughout the country. Greg holds an MBA from Presidio Graduate School in sustainable management and a BSAST in nuclear engineering from Thomas Edison State University. He has previously held positions as a program manager of a public-private partnership for the Dutch government, based on sustainable energy projects, and as a chief nuclear mechanical operator in the U.S. Navy for six years. Greg also served for four years as Sustainability Commissioner for the City of Sausalito in California.

Sustainability Director

Alexis is building on the company’s long track record of corporate sustainability leadership, while also supporting efforts that help NRG Energy customers achieve their sustainability goals. Prior to NRG, Alexis served as COO at PRC Wind, a Midwest-based company that develops utility-scale windfarms. Previously, Alexis was the director of environmental sustainability and compliance for Best Buy, a multinational technology retailer, overseeing environmental strategy, programs, and compliance. Previously, Alexis worked at Accenture in business process and technology consulting. Alexis received her BA from the University of California at Berkeley and was a 2017 University of Minnesota Policy Fellow. Alexis served on the board of the Minnesota Land Trust and resides in Minnesota with her husband and three daughters.

Sustainability Director

Maria has worked in the energy industry for 20 years. In her current role, she is proud to continue broad team collaboration on greenhouse gas reductions, enabling NRG customers to achieve their goals. Previously, she worked with the Environmental team and partnered on sustainability efforts at NRG and Midwest Generation/Edison Mission Energy. She has been a Director of Sustainability and Environmental Programs for United Airlines and Senior Environmental Expert at Nestlé USA. She has a B.S. in Physics from University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and an M.S. in Environmental Technology from New York Institute of Technology.

Manager of Sustainability Consulting and Senior Sustainability Advisor

Michael is an accomplished Manager of Sustainability Consulting and Senior Sustainability Advisor with NRG Energy. With expertise in climate change, sustainability, and environmental planning, Michael is committed to promoting education and making measured impacts on our carbon footprint. His impressive career includes roles at Rutgers University, Temple University, and the Global Association of Risk Professionals. He co-led the Strategy Delivery Unit within the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities program, focusing on environmental change across the Americas. Currently, he's also a faculty member at The Johns Hopkins University, guiding graduate students in environmental science and climate change studies. Michael is a LEED-certified professional and a licensed landscape architect. Born in New Jersey and now residing near Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, Michael's dedication to sustainability and climate action is evident in both his professional and personal life. In his spare time, he enjoys running, road tripping, and traveling by train, always mindful of his carbon footprint. 

Senior Analyst, Sustainability

Nivetha Sundaravadievelu is a Senior Analyst on NRG’s Sustainability team. In her role, she is building on the company’s long track record of corporate sustainability leadership while also supporting efforts that help our customers achieve their sustainability goals. Nivetha started her career as a consultant in an environmental consulting firm where she worked on various environmental compliance and sustainability reporting-related projects. Nivetha holds a BE degree in Chemical Engineering from Osaka University and an MS degree in Environmental Analysis from Rice University.