Passion & Progress: Toyin Abegunde on Diversity, Inclusion, and the Future of Women in Energy Leadership

As we look forward to Africa Day May 25 in celebration of past successes across the continent, we also turn to building the future and in this interview with Toyin Abegunde, Executive Director for Sub-Sahara Africa at GE Vernova Gas Power, she dives deep into her passion for the energy sector, her perspective on fostering diversity and inclusion, and her vision for empowering women to take on leadership roles within the energy industry – and beyond.

What personal motivation has guided and influenced your approach to leadership and decision-making within GE Vernova?

My approach to leadership and decision-making is deeply rooted in African soil and particularly in the lessons learnt from my father. As a successful entrepreneur he skillfully balanced business challenges with family responsibilities and emphasized six key life lessons I follow to this day.

Firstly, he taught me the value and power of relationships, explaining that “No person is an island” – we rely on each other. He instilled in me the importance of staying present and not dwelling on future worries; treating everyone with respect; perseverance in the face of challenges – never giving up; believing in yourself. My father’s constant support and belief in me fueled my drive and continues to inspire me to empower others. Finally, he entrenched the motto “Anything worth doing is worth doing well,” emphasizing the pursuit of excellence and lifelong learning.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the energy industry, and what do you find most rewarding about your work?

My inspiration was sparked by a documentary I watched at about 10 years old. It highlighted the effects of energy poverty in Africa despite the continent’s vast reserves of natural resources. A key takeaway for me was how women and children are disproportionately affected by lack of access to energy, impacting their well-being, economic opportunities and overall quality of life.

This influenced me to pursue an education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – and ultimately a career in energy with GE Vernova. I contribute to solving energy challenges, in turn empowering women, improving their well-being and promoting gender equality in Africa. It is very fulfilling to help electrify and decarbonize Africa while playing a part in transforming lives and creating a more equitable society.

What do you see as the most pressing challenges and opportunities for women in the energy sector today, and how can they be addressed?

The biggest barrier is the perception that it’s male-dominated, fueled by reality that only about one-quarter of African energy industry employees are women. However, the notion that men are better suited for these roles is biased and while it may discourage women from applying, the industry is changing. Growing achievements of women and showcasing diverse opportunities beyond engineering, are increasingly instrumental in shifting this opinion.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion are part of GE Vernova’s sustainability priorities. Can you elaborate on this and how it is contributing to the company’s effectiveness?

Fostering diversity and inclusion is fundamental to innovation and growth within GE Vernova – and helps attract and retain top talent. By cultivating a diverse workforce, we create a space where new ideas, products and solutions can flourish. Diversity and inclusion further enable us to better meet the needs of our customers and communities while driving employee engagement and retention.

GE Vernova’s inclusive work environment is built on a culture of respect, belonging and empowerment. Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are communities consisting of shared backgrounds and experiences, and welcome all employees to learn, connect, advocate and cultivate a sense of belonging. ERGs provide spaces where employees can be seen and heard, and supported by their peers.

How is GE Vernova promoting participation of women in STEM careers and creating a more inclusive energy industry?

GE Vernova actively promotes STEM education for girls in secondary schools and mentors female engineering students in higher learning institutions. Recently we partnered with Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) to host a “Girls in STEM” event for about 100 secondary school female pupils aimed at bridging the gender gap in STEM careers and preparing the next generation of women engineers and innovators.

Our “Bring Your Daughter to Work Day” encourages employees to bring a young girl (regardless of relation to them) to work. This mentoring initiative, showcasing our work and its impact on society, aims to inspire and help young female talent secure internships within GE Vernova.

In Sub-Saharan Africa GE Vernova has strong representation of women in leadership and we have a long-term vision to continuously attract, retain and develop female talent within the region.

How is GE Vernova’s new brand positioned to potentially open more opportunities for women in the energy sector?

Diversity is one of GE Vernova’s great strengths, and our ERGs and Affinity Networks exemplify this. The GE Vernova Women’s Network (established in 1997 already) is one such affinity group dedicated to inspiring, connecting, developing and championing women. By engaging and developing its members in areas like technology, operations, and commercial roles, the network cultivates future leaders who will ensure both their own career success and GE’s continued growth.

Our recruitment and diversity and inclusion initiative addresses all biases and guarantees that women have equal opportunities for leadership roles.

How can the energy industry better support and promote the advancement of women into leadership positions and decision-making roles?

We must acknowledge that while there have been some improvements over the years, today less than a quarter of employees in the industry are female, and the proportion of women in leadership roles shrinks significantly at higher levels. Clearly, much still must be done to increase women’s representation in the industry. One way is to get more young girls to understand the exciting opportunities that STEM careers offer.

Another step is providing platforms for mentoring and networking for young women already in the industry. It’s one thing to get more females into the pipeline, but it’s equally important to ensure they remain engaged and don’t lose interest or get discouraged. More organizations, public and private, need to be intentional about mentorship and implementing programs that can encourage increased representation of women in the industry.

How do you envision the future of the energy sector in terms of gender diversity and inclusivity, and what steps do you believe are necessary to achieve greater representation and equality?

The future for the energy sector in terms of diversity and inclusion is one where women can hold a significantly higher number of leadership positions across policy design, solutioning, and advocacy. Integrating women throughout the entire energy value chain will lead to more effective and efficient clean energy initiatives, unlock greater returns on investments, and expand energy access.

Despite the progress made by individual women, further research and investment by both public and private sectors are crucial to attracting and retaining more women in the energy sector. The public sector can make more concerted efforts to promote STEM education and encourage more women to become teachers in these fields, particularly at the early stages. From a private sector perspective, organizations need to implement strategies to bring more women into leadership positions. Here, Nigeria serves as a positive example, with two female CEOs currently leading electricity distribution companies.

These successful Nigerian CEOs demonstrate that women who face the challenges of energy access firsthand have a significant contribution to make. Increasing the number of women in leadership positions will bring more ingenuity and professionalism to address these critical issues. I am excited about the future and the prospect of women being at the heart of solutions that directly improve the quality of life for our families.