Ep 6 | From Boots to Boardroom with Drew Thompson | Resilience | KYRO AI

Description:In this episode of From Boots to Boardroom, Hari Vasudevan sits down with Drew Thompson, Manager of Distribution Reliability for Entergy New Orleans. From his humble beginnings in Mississippi and California to leading one of the most complex utility regions in the U.S., Drew shares his journey through engineering, leadership, and faith.He opens about lessons from the Super Bowl power outage, balancing reliability and affordability, and how AI is reshaping the power industry. Drew also speaks candidly about his experiences as an African American in utilities and his passion for mentoring the next generation of diverse leaders.What You’ll Learn in This Episode- The evolution of reliability, resiliency, and affordability in modern utilities.- Inside story of the 2012 Super Bowl power outage and lessons learned.- How Entergy is leveraging AI to improve reliability and workforce efficiency.- The role of talent development, opportunity, inclusive leadership, mentorship, and representation in the power sector.- Why financial literacy and resilience matter as much as technical expertise.About Our Guest:Drew Thompson is the Manager of Distribution Reliability for Entergy New Orleans, overseeing grid performance across one of the nation’s most unique and resilient regions. With nearly two decades of experience at Entergy and Georgia Power, Drew has led initiatives spanning transmission, generation, and customer operations. A proud graduate of Southern University with an MBA from the University of Phoenix, he serves in several leadership roles within EEI, McKinsey Inclusive Leadership, and the American Association of Blacks in Energy. Beyond his career, Drew is deeply committed to faith, family, mentorship, and helping the next generation of engineers find purpose in power.About the show:From Boots to Boardroom is a podcast that shines a light on the people who keep America running. Not every leader sits in a corner office — leadership is found on job sites, in the field, and in the boardroom. In each episode, we share the journeys of those who build, restore, and power our nation. From linemen and builders to entrepreneurs and executives, these are stories of grit, tenacity, empathy, and vision.Subscribe for episodes featuring the leaders who power America's infrastructure!Like this episode? Hit the thumbs up and let us know what leadership topic you'd like us to explore next!Follow Hari Vasudevan, Founder and CEO of KYRO AI hereLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/harivasudevan/ Follow us on our socials:Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/kyrosaas/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kyro.ai/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kyrosaasTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kyro.aiDisclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the guest are solely their own and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views, policies, or positions of KYRO AI, From Boots to Boardroom, or the host. Any appearance by a guest on this program does not constitute an endorsement of the guest’s views, products, services, or affiliations. KYRO AI, From Boots to Boardroom, and the host disclaim any liability relating to the content discussed and make no representations regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.Captions are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.#FromBootsToBoardroom #DrewThompson #UtilityLeadership #PoweringCommunities #ReliabilityAndResilience #AIinUtilities #EntergyNewOrleans #HariVasudevanPodcast