About UPMG
The Utility Purchasing Management Group (UPMG) is a leading industry association dedicated to advancing procurement and materials management across the utility sector. Serving professionals in gas, electric, and telecommunications utilities—including investor-owned, government-owned, and consumer-owned entities— UPMG fosters the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and best practices to drive operational excellence.
Through its annual conference, taking place September 22-25 this year in San Diego, UPMG provides a premier platform for education and networking, addressing emerging industry challenges and showcasing innovations from both utility leaders and supplier partners. The event features expert insights and thought leadership, and its virtual format in recent years has expanded accessibility and broadened participation across the sector.
By The Numbers
100+
Years Supporting the Utility Industry
20
Participating Utilities in Benchmarking Survey
1
Conference to Attend this Year
Events - 2025
For over a century, UPMG has hosted its flagship annual conference—recognized as the premier gathering for utility procurement and supply chain professionals.
Now in its 101st year, the conference offers unparalleled opportunities for executive networking and delivers forward-looking insights from a diverse array of industry luminaries. Attendees gain access to cutting-edge thought leadership and strategic perspectives shaping the future of the utility sector.
Conference Speaker Bios
Brandon Zimmerman, UPMG 2026 Board Chair
Manager, Category Management & Contracts – Enterprise Services
Southern Company
Brandon currently serves as the Manager, Category Management and Contracts. In this role, he oversees the Category Management, Contracts and Procurement teams supporting technology sourcing for Southern Company. He joined Southern in 2015 as a Principal Contracts Agent responsible for managing a portfolio of nuclear construction and maintenance contracts in excess of $700 million. Prior to Southern, Brandon worked as a Senior Contracting Officer for TVA, served as General Counsel for a construction company and practiced as an Associate Attorney for a Birmingham based law firm. Throughout his career, he has been heavily engaged in drafting, negotiating and enforcing contracts. Brandon earned his MBA from Middle Tennessee State University and his J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.
Conrad Snover
CEO
ProcureAbility
Conrad is CEO of ProcureAbility, where he focuses on client success, employee engagement and culture, and product innovation. Conrad is focused on helping clients optimize their supply chain function through Strategy Design, Procurement Transformation, Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Development, and Organizational Sustainability.
Conrad has consulted with numerous Fortune 1000 companies in a variety of industries including utilities, oil and gas, technology, banking and insurance, hospitality, and healthcare. He is a frequently requested presenter at national supply chain conferences, and holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Washington.
A retired sponsored athlete and aspiring ski-mountaineer, Conrad lives in Northern California with his wife and their son.
Adrianne Collins
Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management, Chief Procurement Officer
Southern Company
Adrianne Collins is senior vice president of Supply Chain Management and chief procurement officer at Southern Company. She leads an organization of more than 650 employees dedicated to providing innovative supply chain solutions across the Southern Company system. In this role, she provides direction for the company’s supply chain organization, including category management, contracting, procurement, supplier inclusion, logistics, inventory optimization, warehousing and asset disposition. She oversees more than $10 billion annually in purchasing of services and materials to enable the system in providing clean, safe, reliable, affordable and resilient energy.
Prior to her current role, Collins was senior vice president of Power Delivery. In that role, she led the Transmission Planning, Bulk Power Operations, Energy Management Systems and Transmission Policy and Services organizations. Collins worked with key industry bodies to advance energy policy.
Previously, Collins was Gulf Power’s vice president of Power Delivery and led the Distribution, Transmission and Supply Chain Management organizations at the former Southern Company subsidiary.
She co-led the Southern Company Power Delivery coordination of restoration in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. When Hurricane Michael devastated portions of northwest Florida, she was the executive lead for the response to the unprecedented storm. As Transmission general manager, she led the largest power grid expansion program in Gulf Power’s history.
After joining the Southern Company system in 1998 as a distribution engineer at Gulf Power, Collins went on to hold a number of key engineering and leadership roles at Gulf Power and subsidiary Georgia Power.
Collins received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida. She is highly engaged in the industry, serving on the executive committee of the Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (SSCA) and on the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Chief Procurement Officers Executive Committee. She previously served as chair of the North American Transmission Forum (NATF), vice-chair of the NERC Reliability Issues Steering Committee (RISC) and served on the SERC Board of Directors.
In the community, Adrianne has served in several impactful roles that include board trustee for the University of West Florida and chair of the Academic Affairs Committee; board president for Ronald McDonald House Charities; and board member of the Fayette Care Clinic. She is an executive mentor for Momentum, an organization for women leaders in the Birmingham, Alabama area.
Melanie Farrell
Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Melanie E. Farrell, Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer at Tennessee Valley Authority, brings more than two decades of dedicated service at the nation’s largest public power utility. Her longstanding commitment to excellence and strategic vision has been instrumental in shaping TVA’s operations and setting new standards across the industry.
Melanie is widely recognized for her ability to drive innovation and efficiency, ensuring TVA remains at the forefront in delivering value to its stakeholders. Beyond operational
expertise, Melanie’s talent for nurturing professional growth and building high-performing teams truly distinguishes them as a leader. Her influence inspires those around them to reach higher and achieve their best, fostering an environment where excellence is both expected and realized.
Beginning her TVA journey as an intern, Melanie advanced through pivotal leadership roles in Operations, Financial Services, External Relations, and now Supply Chain, shaping enterprise-wide strategies that drive both immediate results and long-term transformation.
Her expertise spans energy production landscape, economic and strategic planning, and customer and stakeholder engagement. Notable achievements include pioneering gap-based business planning, leadership in TVA’s 2019 and 2026 Integrated Resource Plans (IRP), and developing improvement strategies for coal, gas, and hydro generation fleets. Melanie also spearheaded TVA’s external engagement strategy, strengthening relationships with customers and stakeholders.
As Chief Procurement Officer, Melanie oversees sourcing and delivery for all TVA materials and services—a portfolio exceeding $6 billion in annual spend—supporting all TVA operations, construction, and corporate functions.
A graduate of Centre College (BA) and Belmont University (MBA), Melanie is a dedicated military spouse and mother of two, based in Chattanooga, TN. She is deeply committed to community service, currently serving as Board Chair for the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Chattanooga and volunteering with the Chattanooga Humane Educational Society. Outside of work, Melanie finds joy cheering on her children in sports and spending time outdoors.
Michael Rich
Vice President, Supply Chain
American Water
Michael Rich has more than 19 years of experience in supply chain management across energy, water, and wastewater investor-owned utilities.
He currently serves as Vice President, Supply Chain at American Water, responsible for enterprise-wide procurement of direct and indirect materials and services, including energy, construction, engineering, and corporate services.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Global Business from Arizona State University and a Professional in Supply Chain Management (CPSM) certification from the Institute for Supply Management.
Michael also served 21 years in the Army Reserve and retired in 2024 as a Captain. He served as a Battalion Operations and Intelligence Officer in Trenton, NJ, and completed two Middle East deployments: 2004–2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and 2021–2022 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
His experience includes contract negotiations, strategic sourcing, inventory management, global customs and logistics, supply chain technology and analytics, supplier diversity, and supplier relationship management.
Elissa Y. Ouyang
Vice President, Facilities, Fleet and Procurement
California Water Service Group (Cal Water)
Elissa Y. Ouyang is the Vice President of Facilities, Fleet, and Procurement at California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT). Cal Water is the third-largest publicly traded water utility in the United States, providing high-quality water and wastewater services to more than two million people in over 100 communities.
Ms. Ouyang oversees the development and execution of the company’s strategy in Supply Chain, Procurement, Fleet, and Facilities. She is also the lead officer for the company’s IDEA program, which empowers employees to create and implement innovative solutions to address current and emerging challenges. Under her leadership, the company has accomplished many strategic initiatives to improve business efficiency and productivity and has achieved significant results. The company has won multiple national awards in Sourcing and Supplier Diversity.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Ouyang held various roles at the company, including Chief Procurement Officer, Director of Information Technology, and Acting District Manager. Before joining the company, she worked at KPMG Consulting and RR Donnelley & Sons.
Ms. Ouyang holds a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Illinois-Chicago, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Project Management Professional.
Colleen Zupan
Senior Director– Energy & Utilities
GEP
Colleen Zupan is Senior Director of Business Development at GEP, where she leads the Energy & Utilities practice. With deep experience spanning procurement, supply chain, and capital project management, she partners with utility leaders across North America to navigate emerging challenges, including AI adoption and evolving capital planning needs, and shape future-focused sourcing strategies.
Colleen is an active industry voice, authoring whitepapers and blogs on topics ranging from AI adoption in utilities and capex planning to solar versus nuclear energy debates, wildfire management, tariff impacts, and information security. She has designed conference sessions and delivered keynotes engaging C-suite executives across the utility sector.
Colleen is based in the Cleveland, Ohio area and brings this experience to her role on the UPMG Supplier Advisory Board and Content Committee, where she's focused on advancing collaboration and innovation across the utility sourcing community.
Benjamin Ford
Managing Director of Procurement
American Electric Power
Benjamin Ford is a seasoned engineering, procurement, and supply chain executive with 30+ years of global experience leading high value capital projects, enterprise procurement organizations, and large scale operational transformations. Known for strategic vision, decisive leadership, and measurable business impact, he helps complex organizations improve performance, modernize operations, and deliver customer and shareholder value.
Ben is currently the Managing Director of Procurement at American Electric Power responsible for the enterprise Services portfolio covering Transmission, Distribution and Generation (incl all new Generation Project Procurement)
Most recently, Ben served as Senior Director of Procurement at Ameren, leading procurement strategy, category management, supplier quality, and contracting for a $4B annual spend with a team of 130 professionals. He established the enterprise procurement operating model, built the first category management organization, and implemented supply chain strategies that advanced affordability, reliability, and Ameren’s long term Integrated Resource Plan—supporting major renewable, transmission, and storage investments.
Earlier in his career, Ben held senior procurement and commercial leadership roles at Enbridge and Alcoa, directing strategy for multibillion dollar global project portfolios. His experience includes EPCM strategy, oil and gas project execution, breakthrough technology programs, and international capital projects.
Ben holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) from the University of Queensland. He is recognized for strong business acumen and an ability to build high performing teams, with a proven track record delivering results on high visibility, high complexity initiatives across the energy, utilities, and industrial sectors.
Aaron Michaels
Senior Director, IT/Indirect Strategic Sourcing
PG&E
D. Mark Douglass, PhD, CFA
Business Development Manager
Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions
Mark Douglass is the Business Development Manager for Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions, responsible for overseeing sales, marketing, strategic commercial and technical partnerships; previous to this role he was a member of Lincoln Electric’s strategy and M&A team. Prior to Lincoln Electric, he was sell-side equity analyst, focusing on industrial manufacturing technology companies. Preceding his Wall Street tenure, he was an advanced manufacturing engineer specializing in laser materials processing. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation.
Stephen White
Senior Vice President Supply Chain Services for the Power & Energy Sector
WSP
Stephen has over 22+ years of experience in the delivery of complex projects across a range of industries in multiple capacities in the United States and Abroad. Primary areas of focus are Organizational Management & Design, Program & Project Management, Supply Chain Management in the Power Delivery Sector, and Strategic Planning & Consulting
Stephen has served many roles from the direct management of projects up through senior executive roles tasked with the development and execution of large portfolios of projects.
Stephen presently serves as a Senior Vice President at WSP overseeing Supply Chain Services for the Power & Energy Sector.
Amanda Hinett
Supply Chain Manager
WSP
Amanda is a Supply Chain Manager at WSP with extensive experience in utility and energy infrastructure procurement. She has managed strategic sourcing and contract negotiations for major transmission and substation projects throughout North America, supporting more than $2.5 billion in procurement activity. Amanda holds multiple industry certifications, including PMP, CPIM, and CPSM and brings a practical perspective on supply chain strategy, project delivery, and stakeholder collaboration.
Scott Wilezol
Director of Sourcing Strategy & Transformation
Duke Energy
Scott Wilezol is Director of Sourcing Strategy & Transformation at Duke Energy, where he leads strategic initiatives focused on procurement excellence, supply chain modernization, category management, and commercial contract optimization. With more than 25 years of experience in sourcing and supply chain leadership, including 16 years in the energy industry, Scott has built a reputation for aligning supply chain strategies with business objectives to improve operational performance, manage risk, and create sustainable value.
Throughout his career, Scott has led complex sourcing programs across multiple spend categories, negotiated high-value commercial agreements, and championed transformation initiatives that strengthen supplier partnerships and support critical utility operations. His current focus includes supply chain digitalization, data-driven decision making, process automation, and the application of artificial intelligence to accelerate business outcomes.
Scott earned a B.S. in Supply Chain Management and International Business from Penn State University and an MBA from UNC Charlotte. Beyond his professional responsibilities, he is passionate about lifelong learning, international travel, and cultural exploration, having visited more than 60 countries across five continents.
Paul Lorskulsint
Chief Nuclear Officer and Head of Compliance
Urenco USA (UUSA)
Paul serves as the Chief Nuclear Officer and Head of Compliance for Urenco USA (UUSA). Located just outside of Eunice, New Mexico, UUSA enriches uranium for commercial nuclear reactors for US and international customers and serves as the only centrifuge based operational facility in North America. Paul is responsible for the nuclear safety, industrial safety and security of the UUSA facility. He ensures the plant is in compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements and the facility license.
Paul has served in a number of positions at UUSA which include, Compliance Manager, Deputy Compliance Manager, Head of Supply Chain Execution, Chief of Staff, Logistics Manager, Operations Support Manager, and Shift Manager. Prior to joining UUSA, Paul worked at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory where he was responsible for shift operations of a submarine prototype to train US Navy personnel on the routine operations and maintenance of a submarine engine room.
Paul holds a Master of Business Administration in Strategic Management from Temple University and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the World Nuclear University Alumni and New Horizons Foundation and is a
member of the Berkeley Innovation Forum.
Steven Eisen
Chief Strategy Officer
BroadPeak
Steven Eisen is Chief Strategy Officer at BroadPeak, a leader in data integration and regulatory compliance automation for utilities. He has more than 10 years of experience in energy supply chains, geopolitical risk, and price economics, with particular expertise in analyzing global trade, economic trends, and their implications for utility procurement.
Previously, Steven served as a Market Intelligence Specialist at Ameren and as a supply-chain consultant at Wood Mackenzie, where he advised and negotiated on behalf of numerous utility and oil & gas companies. He holds a master’s degree in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
Casey Hicks
Regional Vice President
KD Johnson
Utility industry professional for 20+ years. Spent the first decade in utility engineering for Kiewit and the next decade in utility management for Black & Veatch. Now lead our east team as a Regional Vice President over KD Johnson a Business Development Company.
Helen Gao
Responsible Sourcing Manager
San Diego Gas & Electric Company
As the responsible sourcing manager at San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Helen Gao leads the company’s first ever centralized team dedicated to supplier diversity, supply chain sustainability and third-party risk management.
SDG&E provides energy services to 3.6 million people in San Diego and Southern Orange Counties. The company is a leader in clean energy and wildfire safety innovations, including battery energy storage, transportation electrification, and wildfire and weather predicative analytics. SDG&E is also committed to buying responsibly – maximizing the positive impact of its supply chain on the environment and local communities while securing the best value for its customers.
In 2024, SDG&E’s total expenditure on goods and services with certified diverse businesses exceeded $1 billion.
Helen joined SDG&E in 2017 and held a variety of communications leadership roles before joining SDG&E’s Supply Management Department in 2024.
Prior to joining SDG&E, Helen led communications and public outreach efforts at the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Helen holds a Bachelor of English from the University of Chicago and a Master of Public Administration from San Diego State University.
Rahul Gujral
Partner - Power & Utility
AlixPartners
Rahul is a Partner at AlixPartners Power & Utility practice. He has served a dozen electric utilities on performance improvement improvement topics spanning O&M, Capital and organizational issues. He has help operating roles in several Fortune 500 companies.
Caroline Larose
Senior Manager, Responsible & Sustainable Supply Chain
Accenture
Caroline Larose is a senior sustainability and circular economy leader at Accenture, advising organizations across utilities, energy, tech, consumer goods, and the public sector. Her work with utilities and energy-focused organizations spans sustainability strategy, resilience, decarbonization, resource efficiency, and supply chain challenges, including how changing demands across industries are reshaping energy and infrastructure needs. She recently authored Accenture’s perspective on how the data center industry can plan and deliver new capacity in an increasingly power-constrained environment.
Her circular economy work also includes shaping place-based strategies that connect policy, infrastructure and implementation, including helping develop California’s first statewide Zero Waste Plan and serving on the advisory committee for the City of San Francisco’s first Circular Economy Roadmap.
Caroline holds an MBA and an MS in Environmental Policy & Planning from the University of Michigan and a BSBA in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis, and she is currently based in San Francisco, California.
Greg Tellier
Director of Utility and Demolition Accounts
Alpert & Alpert Iron & Metal, Inc.
Greg Tellier is the Director of Utility and Demolition accounts for Alpert & Alpert Iron & Metal, Inc. With over 25 years of utility experience, Greg specializes in developing strategies and building resilient systems and infrastructure to optimize Investment Recovery programs and return maximum value to shareholders. Greg is focused on identifying the most favorable and compliant disposition for spent or obsolete assets, finding sustainable solutions to eliminate waste streams, and promoting corporate environmental stewardship and governance.
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