The Wind Beneath Her Wings: Jan Blittersdorf of NRG Systems

By Roberta Nubile

Wanted: women looking for work in the renewable energy industry. The time is now to bring what you've got to the table. The industry needs you. And Jan Blittersdorf, CEO of NRG Systems in Hinesburg, is leading the way.

NRG makes wind measuring systems to assess if a site has enough wind to generate electrical energy. Their customers are worldwide, and include businesses, utility companies, wind farms, universities, research institutes, and homeowners.

NRG Systems was founded in 1982 by Jan's husband, David Blittersdorf, who first ran the business out of their Bristol home. The company has always enjoyed steady growth, but nothing like the last few years, during which the wind industry has rapidly expanded. "The company's revenues have increased by 50 percent since 2006, and are projected to go from $44 million to $65-70 million in the next year," she says.

As CEO, Blittersdorf is unique in two respects. According to Wind Energy News, women CEOs are "still a minority in the business world and uncommon at the top rungs of the wind industry." This rare female leader of a technological company also inherited the CEO role from her husband. (David is now CEO of Earth Turbines, which manufactures wind turbines for the home.)

"At social events, people will come up to me and ask if I'm still involved in my husband's business," says Blittersdorf, "despite the fact that I have been involved as the CFO and vice-president since 1987, and as CEO since 2004. Neither of us had a clue of how tough it was for a CEO to step down and not leave the company - and have the new CEO be his wife!" Despite the challenges, Blittersdorf has "no regrets and says she is growing in ways she never has before. We are working through it all and forging ahead."

The business is housed in a 46,000 square foot, state of the art "green" building, worthy of a tour, and has won awards for walking its talk about both energy efficiency and employee satisfaction. It was named one of Vermont's Best Places to Work in 2006 by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont State Chamber of Commerce, and it was named a 2007 Top Small Workplace by The Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces. NRG now employs 90 people, and 31,000 square feet of additional construction is underway to house Earth Turbines next door.

While David grew NRG in the early years, Blittersdorf, who graduated from the University of Vermont with degrees in nursing and human development, was the family's breadwinner. She counseled pregnant teens and women, worked in toddler daycare, and was a medical-surgical nurse in the early years of caring for AIDS patients. "I learned a lot about what life can throw at person," Blittersdorf says of those work experiences. While there were many aspects to this work she loved, she felt "restless and ready for greater mental stimulation."

One day, David said to her, "I could use some help." The timing was right, and her initial reaction was positive: "It didn't cross my mind that working with David would bring up any particular concerns." Nor did she foresee the major role she would eventually take at NRG, or the challenges it would bring to their relationship. She transitioned to per diem work as a nurse.

Blittersdorf first took on the company's books. In those pre-computer days, without accounting software, she recalls sitting in her office, thinking, How does one develop an accounts payable/receivable ledger - where's the book? Blittersdorf describes herself as shy and wasn't keen on asking other businesses for help, so she taught herself. Working with numbers, she found the intellectual challenge she was missing.

The Blittersdorfs shared parental responsibilities for their two children born in the late 1980s, with the balance more on Jan's side. Around that time, Blittersdorf phased out her nursing work to focus on growing her young family - and NRG.

Pulled between work and family, Blittersdorf compares this period to a "juggling act." "As a part-timer, I wanted to feel more connected to NRG, and I wanted to be there for my kids," she recalls. She gradually increased her time at NRG as her youngest child's school day lengthened, with the end of her work day coinciding with bus pick-up time.

She went full time in 1995. "David had the technical, sales, and marketing roles, and I was the behind-the-scenes systems person," she says. In addition to accounting, she developed a system for exporting their wind measuring equipment to national and international customers.

As the company hired more employees, the need for a human resources person became evident. This was another perfect fit for Blittersdorf, with her organizational, people, financial, and systems thinking skills. She developed employees' initial benefits package, again teaching herself as she went. NRG is recognized for its progressive benefits package which, in addition to standard benefits, includes cash incentives for the purchase of select hybrid vehicles and for home installations of renewable energy or energy-efficient upgrades. She also methodically built a strong management team.

"I always had confidence we would figure it all out," says Blittersdorf of NRG's growing years. "I believed in David's ability be the visionary, to develop the right product. I held the big picture and financial outlook."

She also notes the profound shift in her life at this time: "I went from the world of childcare and nursing to a mostly male atmosphere. It could sometimes be awkward at parties. My world revolved around my work, and I love to learn. I would gravitate toward conversations about work - sometimes I was the only woman in that group. At the same time, I love to be around women. Who do I want to talk to? How do we break down roles? Do you change yourself?"

When David asked her to take on the role of CEO so he could build home turbines, those questions became even more relevant - and she hesitated. "It took two years for him to convince me," she admits. "I was unsure of myself. I saw it as a male-dominated, technical industry. Did I have the right background and skills? Could I speak and represent the company on various boards?"

She could, she did - and she excelled at it. In addition to overseeing the committees that make NRG run smoothly, Blittersdorf finds she is both "sought out, and I've gotten myself out there." She's active on boards or committees with the American Wind Energy Association, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, the UVM School of Business, Vermont Technical College, Vermont Business Roundtable, the Vermont Humanities Council, the Business Advisory Council for Vermont's Speaker of the House, Vistage (a national CEO networking organization), the Fairbanks Museum, and Women of Wind Energy. This last group named Blittersdorf Wind Woman of the Year for 2006. She is the award's first recipient - "and [it's] one of my proudest achievements," she says.

Blittersdorf points out that several studies about women on boards connect business success with a mixed-gender demographic. According to the Board of Directors Network's 15th annual study of Women in the Boardroom in public companies in Georgia, "the representation of women in leadership and board positions provides opportunities for a company to enhance its corporate performance." The 2007 Catalyst study, "The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and Women's Representation on Boards," correlates strong financial performance with the presence of women on boards.

On being a female leader in this field, Blittersdorf says, "I've had nothing but positive experiences. There are no outright [gender] issues. I didn't get instant credibility though; with David as founder, and me as his wife, it was more difficult to become a leader in my own right. I've had to step up my decisiveness, think things through before I get in a group situation - and learn not to defer to others and stand up for myself. And, whereas David was the vision person before, that is now my role. He's had to hand over the reigns to me and let go. I now see what he did as an incredible gift, and I have much gratitude."

Blittersdorf is open to talking about the strains on her marital relationship. "It was no secret. And I hope others can learn from us. We had no role models for what we did and perhaps could have done some things differently. But we're still here." The stress on their marriage brought them to new growth, Blittersdorf asserts. She recalls some encouraging words from organizational consultant Stephanie Lahar at the time: "What if it makes your marriage better?"

Blittersdorf encourages women to enter the renewable energy industry. "Get out there - don't be afraid to take risks," she advises. "There is a lot of opportunity right now. Only 10 percent of engineers are women. The industry wants more women, and there are many job openings in renewables, especially wind. And you don't have to be a technical person to be a leader in the technical industry. Your leadership, management, and organizational skills are needed."

What's next on the horizon for Blittersdorf? "As CEO of NRG Systems now, the job is much different than when the company was growing. Now, systems will need changing again with our growth, and I am looking at building culture. Every time I figure it out, it's different. But the work is exciting, interesting, and stressful. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Roberta Nubile is a freelance writer living in Shelburne.