National Grid U.S.

“We believe that our objectives as a group must support and complement National Grid’s business objectives,” states Cindy Chiu, manager of the Staten Island, NY, Customer Marketing Group and Asian Leadership Group chairperson. “Our members work within the company, developing their business skills and industry knowledge, and in the community, where they support local business skills and charitable and environmental initiatives.”

Formed in 2004, the group now includes 150 active members from many parts of Asia. Together, they hold internal speaker events to learn more about the company, sponsor smaller learning forums and network with similar organizations in companies including General Electric, Ernst & Young and IBM. In the community, members teach Junior Achievement classes, sponsor Earth Day celebrations and volunteer with the United Way.

“Our members work within the company, developing their business skills and industry knowledge, and in the community, where they support local business skills and charitable and environmental initiatives.”

Blending cultural understanding with learning about National Grid and energy conservation is something the group enjoys. “For the fourth consecutive summer, a National Grid team has participated in the annual New York Dragon Boat Festival and this year National Grid signed on as a boat sponsor,” explains Wen Wen, leader of the company’s Dragon Boat effort and a senior analyst in Energy Accounting.

During the two-day festival attended by more than 50,000 visitors, the first day is for race sponsors to share information about their organizations with the Asian community. This year, more than 1,000 attendees stopped at the National Grid exhibit booth.

Day two is reserved for the excitement of the Dragon Boat races. National Grid Dragon Storm participated in four different races – regular mixed 250 meters and 500 meters, the sponsor race and the corporate race – placing second in the preliminary round of the regular mixed 250 meters. In this competition class, there may be a maximum of 12 rowers and one drummer in each boat.

“It was a great way to bond as National Grid employees and as members of the broader Asian community,” Wen said.