On October 22, Tech Talks Business hosted Chris Womack, chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company. The talk was at the Cisco Innovation Center in the CODA building at Tech Square, where Womack sat down with Dean Anuj Mehrotra to share his insights on the evolving energy sector, recent natural disasters, and leadership.
Dean Mehrotra started the conversation by asking Womack about his journey to becoming CEO of Southern Company. Growing up in rural Alabama, Womack was always interested in politics and public policy, which led him to pursue a college internship working with consumer advocate Ralph Nader in Washington D.C. After graduation, he briefly moved back to Alabama before setting of to D.C. to begin his career in public policy. He spent the next nine years working in the office of Leon Panetta, at the time a member of the United States House of Representatives representing California. Womack focused on healthcare policy, immigration policy, and housing administration.
After working in D.C. for almost a decade, Womack returned home to build his career in Alabama.
“I always had this incredible love for Alabama,” he said. “I had this desire to correct things I didn’t like and try to make it better. If I want to see something change or make progress, there are things I have to do. I can’t point to others. I have a personal responsibility.”
When he was offered a position at the Alabama Power Company, a Southern Company subsidiary, he thought it would only be for a short time because his passion was for public policy, not business. Now, 35 years later, he has held various leadership roles within the company, culminating in his current position as CEO.
The talk moved on to Womack sharing insights into Southern Company’s operations as the second largest utility company in the U.S., highlighting its vast scale with 28,000 employees serving over nine million customers providing electric and gas service across several states.
He spoke about the challenges posed by natural disasters, such as the recent damage caused by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Hurricane Helene was the most devastating storm Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, has ever experienced. The storm caused 1.5 million customers to lose power, and the company lost more than 8,000 power poles. Womack discussed the importance of the restoration process after these disasters and the company’s efforts to enhance grid resilience using AI, drones, and self-healing networks to restore service as quickly as possible.
He shared how Southern Company is embracing innovation, sustainability, and modernizing and upgrading to increase output. The company reduced its reliance on coal from 70% in 2007 to less than 17% today as it continues to move toward a net zero goal.
Southern Company has made significant improvements in clean energy, notably becoming the first U.S. utility to bring a new nuclear plant online in over 30 years. Womack’s vision includes leveraging a mix of energy sources—hydropower, nuclear, renewables, and natural gas—to meet future energy needs. One renewable energy source he’s optimistic about is batteries and battery energy storage systems. In Georgia, Southern Company is adding around 1,000 MW of battery storage to their grid as well as testing things like hydrogen and hydrogen blends in combustion turbines to help create a larger hydrogen ecosystem for the future.
“I think as we look at the demand, we try to balance the need to make sure we stay focused on issues of sustainability," he said. “Nuclear energy has to be a major part of this solution going forward, as do more renewables.”
Womack also talked about the significance of creating an inclusive company culture. He believes that while innovation and financial performance are critical, the key to success is fostering a collaborative environment where employees feel valued and motivated.
Following the murder of George Floyd, Womack helped lead Southern Company in reassessing its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Under his leadership, the company developed the “Moving to Equity” framework, designed to create deeper conversations around inequality and ensure that Southern Company remains a place where all employees, regardless of background, feel they belong and can succeed.
“If you don't have a good culture, collaboration, or teamwork where everybody feels like they're part of the organization, we’re missing opportunities,” Womack said. “It’s not about what we do, it’s about how we do it. That’s what makes companies, organizations, and institutions highly productive. I want to make sure our company is not just successful in 2024 but for the future.”
Watch the full event in the video below.
