Businesses need policies that support gender diversity to drive women’s leadership representation – Osuhor

THELMA OSUHOR is the operations director, services, Sub-Saharan Africa at GE Vernova’s Gas Power. In this interview with JOSEPHINE OKOJIE -OKEIYI, she spoke about her role at GE Vernova’s Gas Power and how businesses can take women’s leadership representation to a whole new level in Nigeria’s energy industry.

Can you share insights into your role as the operations director, services, Sub-Saharan Africa for GE Vernova’s Gas Power?

GE Vernova is a purpose-built global energy company with over 130 years of experience tackling global challenges.

GE Vernova’s Gas Power has a high presence in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing diverse energy solutions that meet over 40 percent of the continent’s energy needs across various industries and sectors.

Our units support customers in generating power for industrial, commercial, and residential purposes.

As the operations director, I lead the team responsible for executing power plant maintenance activities for our customers. This involves driving the execution of outages to meet the highest standards of safety, quality, and on-time delivery.

My team supports customers in scheduling, planning, and executing maintenance events on their gas turbines and equipment, ensuring continuous service with minimal disruptions.

This role allows me to focus on achieving crucial Key Performance Indicators for GE Vernova and our customers.

There is immense satisfaction in knowing that the impact of our team is driving operational excellence, ultimately contributing to the economic growth and stability across the continent.

How does your organisation drive operational excellence to support growth and ensure reliable power for customers?

GE Vernova plays a vital role in the region’s energy landscape, helping lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify while simultaneously working to decarbonize it.

At the core of our business is operational excellence, driven by strategic planning, continuous improvement, and leveraging technology to deliver results.

We focus on efficiency through continuous improvement concepts, particularly the principles of “LEAN,” which guide our strategic planning and daily operations.

We are seeking new ways to enhance our performance and expand our service offerings. Our continuous evaluation of performance, data insights, and customer feedback drives these improvements.

As a result, we help our customers improve the availability and reliability of their equipment, maximising uptime and enabling them to “keep the lights on” for longer.

By reducing maintenance windows, our customers can focus on other aspects of their business, thereby enhancing their overall performance.

As a global company, we benefit from our extensive customer base, which fuels our continuous learning and improvement—a key advantage in our performance strategy.

How do you leverage technology and innovation to enhance efficiency in GE Vernova’s service operations across the region?

As a technology-driven company, innovation is at the heart of our operations. We continuously address challenges and enhance efficiency in our service operations across the region.

One of the primary ways we achieve this is through the use of digitisation and automation, which allows us to simulate and optimise plant operations.

This technological integration not only facilitates routine maintenance scheduling but also employs sensors and data analytics to detect anomalies and offer predictive maintenance solutions.

By leveraging technology, we make smarter decisions and refine our service delivery approach, ensuring we meet the evolving needs of our customers and drive operational excellence.

How do you see the 2025 International Women’s Day theme – Accelerate Action – resonating within the energy sector, particularly in leadership and operational roles?

The 2025 International Women’s Day theme, “Accelerate Action,” resonates deeply with me and within the energy sector, especially in leadership and operational roles.

This theme emphasises the urgent need for swift, decisive steps toward achieving gender equality, underscoring the importance of addressing gender bias with increased urgency.

Every year, during International Women’s Month, we focus on specific aspects to provide insights into gender issues.

However, this year’s theme converges on the necessity of accelerating progress in all facets of the gender conversation, advocating that “the time is now” to move beyond discussion to action.

In the energy sector, particularly in operational roles, there is a significant need for enhanced female representation in leadership. While many women are proving their capabilities at various levels within the industry, there remains ample room for increased participation.

Research indicates that diverse and inclusive leadership contributes to a more profitable organisation. Conversely, underrepresentation can discourage aspiring female professionals, impacting organisational culture negatively.

Operations is an area with considerable gender disparity, prompting significant questions about how we can offer allyship and support to ensure we are not grappling with low levels of gender equity in the future.

It is vital to develop policies that ensure job security for women who also carry the responsibilities of home care and to create actionable solutions.

We aspire to foster an environment where discussions about gender equality and equity are no longer sources of concern.

As female leaders, it is our collective responsibility to amplify this message. I am privileged to be part of an organisation deeply committed to women’s empowerment, exemplified by the team I lead, which proudly boasts 50 percent female representation—a testament to our dedication and progress.

How do you see the role of women evolving in the future of the energy sector, and what steps should companies take to ensure equal opportunities for leadership and career progression?

As the GE Vernova Women’s Network leader for Nigeria and West Africa, I envision the role of women in the energy sector evolving significantly, especially in the context of the ongoing energy transition.

The future of energy is increasingly focused on sustainability, requiring a diverse energy mix that balances sources such as gas and renewables.

Women will be instrumental in driving this change, as energy leaders harness a diverse mix of resources to ensure a balanced and sustainable future.

To achieve this, energy companies should prioritise attracting and retaining top talent, including women, who can contribute meaningfully to this transformation.

To ensure equal opportunities for leadership and career progression, companies need to develop and enforce policies that support gender diversity and create an equitable workplace environment.

Mentorship and sponsorship programs, such as GE Vernova’s Women’s Network, are equally important to guide women’s career growth and advocate for advancement.

You lead the GE Vernova Women’s Network for West Africa, which aims to empower and elevate women. How is this initiative making an impact within the organisation and beyond?

The GE Vernova Women’s Network is an Employee Resource Group dedicated to attracting, developing, inspiring, and retaining female professional talent.

Established in 1997, this network has made significant strides in empowering women by cultivating leadership skills, promoting best business practices for growth, and enhancing networking opportunities for better career prospects.

The network is guided by four pillars: Attract, Connect, Develop, and Care. These principles not only focus internally within the organisation but also extend externally, allowing us to engage meaningfully with our surrounding environment.

In the past year, we collaborated with Dress-For-Success, a global non-profit dedicated to women’s employment, to host a career clinic for unemployed and underemployed women.

These women, often disadvantaged or seeking to re-enter the workforce, received support in refining resumes, improving interviewing techniques, and developing skills through coaching sessions—all aimed at enhancing their job prospects.

Aligned with our Develop pillar, the GE Vernova Women’s Network conducts mentoring sessions for younger women in the organisation, advocating for equal opportunities and promoting a diverse interview slate.

We regularly host dialogues and educational sessions on various themes to empower and inspire our female talent, while also collaborating with male colleagues to foster allyship.

Under our Care pillar, we have organised blood drives in partnership with local organisations to contribute to community welfare. These are just a few examples of the impactful activities we have undertaken recently.

Our overarching vision is to support and nurture the talents of our female employees, create pathways for leadership and career advancement, and build strong relationships across our global organisation. By amplifying the success of our women, we aim to foster growth and cultivate more women leaders.

Through engagement and development in fields such as technology, operations, and commercial roles, the Women’s Network prepares leaders for career success and contributes to the company’s growth.

As the global energy transition accelerates, how is your organisation adapting to support Africa’s evolving power needs and sustainable growth within the sector?

Recognising the diversity of energy requirements across African nations, GE Vernova offers a comprehensive offering tailored to meet each country’s specific needs in its energy transition journey.

This portfolio includes gas power, steam, wind, hydro, nuclear, electrification, grid, and digital solutions. Additionally, we provide accelerators such as advanced research, consulting services, and financial services to bolster progress.

GE Vernova is committed to supporting Africa’s power needs by delivering reliable, sustainable energy solutions that foster growth and development across the continent.

By leveraging our diverse offerings, we aim to empower countries to successfully navigate their unique energy transitions, contributing to a more sustainable future.