DIvIDEnD - Stephen M. Ross School of Business - University of ...

{ AluMnI SPoTlIGhT }
hitting the hill
Marisa uchin, MBA ’04, Guides climate change legislation Efforts for PG&E
Another day dawns in washington,
D.c., and Marisa Uchin, MBA ’04,
amps up the energy. as a lead lobbyist
on climate change for san francisco-based
energy holding company Pg&e corp.,
she faces a typically full calendar. this
one starts with a fundraiser followed by a
conference call with three senators. then
she’s off to a natural gas industry roundtable,
followed by a trip to capitol hill for a
senate staff meeting with members of the
united states climate action Partnership.
(Pg&e is a founding member.) last task:
reviewing a study on climate change, focusing
on the analysis and how Pg&e wants to
frame its message.
“i’ve always been interested in policy
and government, but also business,”
uchin says. “i want to be at the cross-
section where the two come together.
energy is where all the attention is,
and climate change is the biggest issue
right now.”
on the surface, uchin’s current position
doesn’t follow the most logical career
trajectory. most recently, she was director
of automotive strategy and remarketing
at xm satellite Radio. it was there that
56 DIvIDEnD spring 2010
Marisa Uchin, MBA ’04, is an
avid cyclist. Below, Uchin with
rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
she observed how xm’s
merger with sirius
satellite Radio hung on a
government decision, and
she was captivated by the way relationships
impacted the process.
at that time, climate change and energy
independence were becoming popular
buzzwords on the hill, and companies
like Pg&e knew that a nationwide cap on
carbon emissions, along with the trading of
emission permits, was a real possibility.
landing the job at Pg&e in 2007 “had
more to do with me and my interests than
a career plan,” uchin says.
Pg&e is the parent of Pacific gas and
electric co., one of the largest investorowned
gas and electric utilities in the
country. the firm takes the position that
the data on global warming cannot be
ignored, and that burning fossil fuels
contributes to climate change. last year
Pg&e left the u.s. chamber of commerce
— the country’s largest business federation
— citing disagreements over the science
of climate change. the firm supports cap
and trade but also seeks complementary
polices to avoid skyrocketing utility bills
for consumers. advancing its agenda boils
down to building consensus and developing
strategy, uchin says.
“it’s unbelievable how you can manage
and hedge your risk if you effectively manage
your relationships in washington,” she
says. “this is about looking out for your
customers, employees, and shareholders,
and making sure you can sustainably run
your business.”
uchin says she often references her
Ross experience — particularly
her maP project for american
express — to assess issues,
evaluate options, and come up
with a plan of action in a short
period of time. “when you see
an amendment that’s about to
be voted on, you have to think
quickly on your feet to see if it
will work for your customers,
who also are the constituents of many
members of congress. my maP project
was invaluable. i keep that experience in
my pocket and pull it out all the time,”
she says.
energy, meanwhile, appears to be a recurring
theme in uchin’s life. an avid cyclist
and runner, she has biked across the united
states twice. the trip requires 55 days of
cycling, with a day off each week. for uchin,
it’s an ideal way to see the country: “walking
is too slow. and if you drive, you miss
the people, the smells, and the weather.”
all roads lead back to washington,
though, where uchin is active in the
DuPont circle citizens association and
habitat for humanity. she even took her
first shot at running for local elected office,
losing by just nine votes. But most of her
energy is directed toward climate change
and the hill. “if you’re not paying attention
to what’s going on in washington,
you’re putting your business at risk,” she
says. —Terry Kosdrosky
photos courtesy of marisa uchin