August 5, 2020

Meet Bob Beckage – General Manager of our new Austin, Texas office.

When Bob graduated from the University of Texas in El Paso with a degree in Electrical Engineering, he didn’t envision himself working in the power industry. “Ironically, growing up in West Texas, I dreamed of working in the oil and gas industry and did work a summer internship for Exxon,” Bob says. “After oil fell from $66 to $18 a barrel and my post-graduation offer with Exxon was revoked, I decided to focus on the most interesting side of Electrical Engineering – power.” Later on, Bob obtained an M.S. in Engineering Management, as well as an M.B.A.

Bob’s worked in a variety of professional roles to give him a comprehensive understanding of the power industry. From working for large electrical utilities like PG&E and LCRA, to building a consultant office with a former catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, each job has allowed him to gain new experience in power delivery – from substations to transmission, SCADA to energy storage.

As ECI’s newest General Manager, Bob is excited about the opportunity to build something big from our Austin office. “The chance to build a new Consulting office is one of the most challenging and rewarding assignments I’ve ever taken on,” Bob says. “My goal is to build a sustainable culture that can simultaneously grow the business; give motivated and talented individuals a place to achieve while also giving them work-life balance; and building long-term relationships with our customers that my team can be proud of.”

He also understands the critical juncture the power industry finds itself at. “Power is not something that will be obsolete any time soon, but it is constantly reinventing itself. Moving from oil and natural gas generation to renewable generation has created an insatiable demand for power delivery design and construction. These are the best of times for transmission and substation development, but we can never stop innovating or trying to keep our costs competitive to stay relevant in the market.”

Outside of work, Bob is an avid sportsman. With his wife Martha and their three kids, Bob enjoys cycling on bike trails (and stopping off for brunch or beers!), watching NBA games, and obsessing over the Grand Slam tournaments. We’re excited to have Bob on staff and are confident he’ll be a great leader for our new Austin office!

 

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