OTTAWA (April 30) – Electricity Canada has awarded Hydro One’s Rick Putman, Superintendent, Distribution Lines, with their first-ever Faces of the Industry award for his outstanding leadership in modernizing how electricity companies share resources during large-scale power restoration.
The Faces of the Industry award highlights the work of six individuals who have shown outstanding achievement within the electricity sector. These individuals have demonstrated innovation and leadership and come from every part of the industry including executive leadership, communications, engineering, safety and public engagement.
Rick began his career 30 years ago and has become a recognized and respected leader within the industry. One of Rick’s most notable achievements was in developing the Canadian Mutual Assistance agreement in 2013. This agreement modernized how utilities share resources during large-scale restoration events and led to what is now known as the Ontario Mutual Assistance Group (OnMAG) where personnel and equipment from 31 Ontario utilities will come to the aid of neighbouring utilities during a major power outage. Through similar efforts, such as the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group (NAMAG), mutual assistance has now become a North America-wide effort, and Rick has served on several international deployments, overseeing restoration efforts in Canada and the U.S.
Rick is recognized by all as a safety champion, continuously applying and advocating for safety measures for all staff, and he is highly regarded for his expertise in large-scale power restorations.
The Faces of the Industry awards were given out at a reception in Ottawa yesterday evening. The recipients will be featured in a social media campaign during National Electricity Month in June.
QUOTES
“If you work for a utility and there has been an emergency power outage, Rick Putman is usually one of the first people you call—whether you work at Hydro One, or at another utility. Mutual assistance has been intrinsic to Canada’s electrical utilities’ emergency response plan. We owe Rick a lot for his work for making this happen, and for his role in constantly improving how mutual assistance is done. It was no surprise to me that Rick’s nomination for this award had signatories from 18 utilities. He has all our respect. Electricity Canada is proud to have Rick Putman as one of the first recipients of our Faces of the Industry award.”
– Francis Bradley, President and CEO, Electricity Canada
“We are incredibly proud of Rick Putman for his well-deserved recognition by Electricity Canada. The Faces of the Industry award is a great initiative to spotlight exceptional talent within the electricity industry. Rick’s customer-centric approach has driven positive change in the industry and exemplifies the values of Hydro One. We look forward to his continued success at Hydro One.”
– David Lebeter, President and CEO, Hydro One Limited
