Tennessee Valley Authority CEO and leadership

As a member of TVA’s enterprise leadership team, Sue Collins is responsible for developing and leading business-aligned strategies to ensure successful outcomes for both the 10,000 employees who power TVA’s mission and the 10 million customers they serve.

Collins applies her extensive experience to the role of executive vice president and chief people & communications officer for the agency - a role that gives her a dual perspective. Regardless of the stakeholder, employee or public, Collins strives to put the human experience at the heart of every business decision and aims for mutually beneficial results.

On the communications front, her team advocates for the Public Power model by sharing TVA’s story. Through media and various channels, they raise awareness of the agency’s vital mission and inform customers and the public across a seven state service area about issues impacting their communities and lives.

Internally, Collins’ leadership has been instrumental in charting the company’s People Advantage, a strategy designed to amplify the power, passion and creativity within all employees. As part of People Advantage, Collins and her team are committed to creating an inclusive company culture that celebrates the individual; leading action plans and programs to engage employees, and designing talent recruiting and development programs to make TVA a destination for difference makers.

To help lay the foundation for People Advantage, Collins’ team recently undertook a two-year transformation of the company’s human resources delivery model. Called People First, the new model takes a people-centric approach, emphasizing listening, improving resources, increasing collaboration and harnessing technology to bring value to everyone within the organization.

Prior to joining TVA in 2014, Collins served as senior vice president of human resources for the Constellation Energy Nuclear Group (CENG), where she was responsible for building the comprehensive HR function for a complex, $1.5 billion joint venture involving 49.99 percent French ownership and 50.01 percent U.S. ownership. Collins’ leadership within the joint company focused on developing and implementing a progressive people strategy as a foundation for achieving desired business results.

Collins earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Le Moyne College and an MBA with an emphasis in human resources and organizational behavior from Syracuse University. Collins serves on the board of Girls Inc. of Chattanooga as the Governance Committee Chair, as well as on the board of Helmets to Hardhats, a national, nonprofit program that connects transitioning active-duty military and veterans with skilled training and quality career opportunities in the construction industry.