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Learning is a daily activity at Transparent Energy, even when you’ve been with the company for 6+ years. Just ask Keith Jennings, Director, Pricing Desk and the subject of our latest “Meet the Team” profile.

Q: Keith, before we dive into your Pricing Desk duties, tell us a little about how you started at Transparent Energy.

A: I started with Transparent Energy back in its “Premiere Energy” days. The company was small and growing and needed salespeople, and the energy space looked really interesting to me. That’s how I got my foot in the door, but after only a few months in sales I saw opportunities on the Operations side of the business and followed my passions there. I like knowing how things work, and Operations will teach you just that!

In those years, I was “Mr. Support,” not as in “tech support,” but as in wherever there was a need, I was often asked to help. Sometimes that was in client service, doing post-contractual work, or working with the pricing team, sales, or even handling requests from the Executive Team. Transparent Energy has always been an “all hands on deck” kind of company, and that’s great because you get to know everyone here and every aspect of our business. This not only keeps things fun and fresh, but it also gives you a depth and breadth of experience that accrues over time and becomes incredibly valuable in your career as you take on more responsibility.

Q: So fast forward to today. You are now the Director of the Pricing Desk. What does that role entail and what do you bring to it?

A: The Pricing Desk is a fascinating part of our business. Those outside of Transparent Energy and the retail energy business, in general, might think this is a job that’s “all about the numbers,” but it’s much more than a math exercise. I see my work on the Pricing Desk as exponentially fulfilling everything I have learned working my way up in this company. Let me explain.

First, the Pricing Desk does involve numbers, but it’s even more about people. That’s because the Pricing Desk sits at the nexus of our customers, the supplier community, and our sales and sales support teams. So much goes into getting our customers into a new energy contract, and my role is really to ensure that all of the information required to get everyone on board and in agreement – from a customer’s first expression of interest in going to market to getting information out to and back from the supplier community through the auction process itself and final contracting – happens smoothly.

Doing so takes a lot of dexterity, a dedication to communicating with multiple stakeholders effectively, and an ongoing dedication to being efficient, proactive, and detail-oriented. To do all of this, I have to work effectively with the entire team here at Transparent Energy, hundreds of suppliers, and each customer in a highly personalized manner. Like I said before, I’m thankful for all of my experience across the organization, because it provides me the knowledge base and foundational skills to do every aspect of this very intricate and important job on the Pricing Desk better.

Q: What do you like best about your work?

A: I love that even though I’ve been here for quite a few years now that I’m still learning something new every day. As you gain experience and expertise in this field, it is still humbling – and exciting – to interact with so many smart, talented people and to be involved in a market that is so dynamic and full of change.

I pride myself on continuing to learn so that I can serve my customers, the supplier community, and the team here at Transparent Energy in a meaningful way. It is so satisfying to know that with every successful transaction, I have played a role in helping Transparent Energy grow, in helping a valued supplier gain or retain a prized customer, and, most importantly, in helping a satisfied customer successfully manage their energy risk and extract the best price available in the market.

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