NRG People Power: Get to Know Allie Chough

Welcome to another edition of NRG People Power, the series where we spotlight the people behind our products, giving you an inside look at the experts who ensure your energy strategy goals are well-supported. In this feature, in honor of Women’s History month, we are happy to introduce you to Allison “Allie” Chough, NRG’s Strategic Client Services Manager for the Mid-Continent region.

Western Pennsylvania native Allie Chough has traveled the world. Originally setting her sights on a Finance degree, she studied locally at Robert Morris University, and then followed her high school sweetheart across the globe to Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu. After graduating, the couple bounced back to the east coast to New York, where Allie dipped her toes into the banking industry. She recently enjoyed a life-long dream vacation, traveling through France and Spain. Yet, no matter where her travels have taken her, the call of Pittsburgh has always brought Allie back home. It’s in the City of Bridges where she has put down roots, helped start a business, and launched a thriving career in the energy industry.

Allie and her husband own and operate an eclectic Korean American restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood. While her husband helms the kitchen as the chef, Allie uses her finance degree to manage the books, and can often be found rolling up her sleeves to help behind the bar. When not immersed in the hustle and bustle of the restaurant, Allie enjoys long walks with the family dogs, Kimchi and Vera, and volunteering in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District.

Once settled in Pittsburgh, Allie was glad to be home, but found herself without many professional connections or much corporate experience. She knew she wanted a job in an industry that could provide a broad set of career opportunities and upward mobility. So, she followed her instinct and accepted what was supposed to be a three-month contract on the Welcome Team at Direct Energy Business, prior to the NRG acquisition. In this role, she conducted personalized outreach to customers to ensure they were correctly onboarded and ready to start service. This gave her the opportunity to learn the ropes and build relationships within the company and the industry.

After her temp contract ended, Allie accepted a full-time role with Direct Energy Business on the Key Client Services team, providing tailored support services to high-level brokers and customers. In this position, she developed a strong command of the billing platforms and honed her skills in process improvement, ensuring each customer interaction was meaningful and provided value. From there, she joined the Strategic Client Services team as a strategist. Her focus over the last several years on efficiency, superior customer service, and leveraging technology to support customer planning and reporting ultimately paved the way for her current managerial role.

Now under the NRG banner as Strategic Client Services Manager for the Mid-Continent region, Allie’s day revolves around making the company’s largest commercial customers feel welcome and at ease with their energy choices, fostering a sense of confidence with every interaction. Once a business is onboarded with NRG, Allie and her team support that customer through the term of their contract. From monitoring regional market trends, explaining regulatory changes, and working with clients to develop layered hedging strategies, her team works hand-in-hand with customers to manage their customized energy strategy.

Allie credits both a dynamic early work environment and a cavalcade of mentors for helping set her career on its path. As she was exposed to a world of opportunities in a fast-paced, generally male-dominated industry, she eagerly grasped the chance to learn from the wisdom, experience, and approachability of a strong contingent of influential women leaders.

From her first manager, to the then-President of Direct Energy Business, and former and current colleagues across NRG, each of these women supported, guided, and coached Allie on her journey, preparing her to take on the challenges of leadership herself. Now she hopes to mentor other women putting their foot on the energy ladder.

As a 2021 NRG Customer Experience Award winner in the category of “Most Insightful,” Allie uniquely understands how to advocate for customers who are navigating the world of energy strategy amidst ever-changing market conditions. Through her keen market knowledge, customer service focus, and attentiveness to improving existing strategies, processes, and products, she ensures that customers feel confident when working with NRG. Her philosophy of “Don’t be afraid to try new things,” coupled with her belief in the power of individual impact, reinforces the ways NRG strives to make customers feel at home.

The Strategic Client Services team for the Midcontinent region supports large business customers, including multiple national accounts, across Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. This group of six provides market analysis, risk assessment, and the highest level of individually customized energy strategy management for customers who select NRG’s electricity and natural gas managed products.