John brings his deep expertise in the energy business and his past roles as founding principal and executive leader in an engineering/consulting firm to benefit Sanborn Head’s board.

Key Expertise:

  • Staff and executive leadership and development
  • Strategic advising and startup mentoring
  • Renewable energy and grid transition
  • Electric power engineering and power systems operation
  • Power system interconnections, policies, and processes

John comes to the Sanborn Head board following a long career in the electric power business.  His past roles include distribution field engineer, substation project engineer, and leadership positions in a regional consulting firm and systems analysis group.  His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Engineering degree in Electric Power Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  John is a registered Professional Engineer in several states and is a member of the IEEE and NSPE.

Starting out in 1999 in a small storefront office in Sutton, MA, John was a founding principal in Energy Initiatives Group (EIG) which he helped grow to a $14M, 60-person enterprise based in Marlborough, MA.  In 2017, EIG was acquired by EN Engineering, and John continues to be an executive consultant in their Electric Consulting group which now has over 100 employees in four locations.

John has grown his involvement over the past several years in the WPI Tech Advisor’s Network (TAN) which advises and assists startup companies in their product development, IP, marketing strategy, and fundraising.  He is also an I-Corps advisor in the WPI Business School program which assists fledgling enterprises with customer discovery.  John participated in a CEO peer group for seven years and is currently developing and instructing executive leadership training programs for future business leaders.  Working to represent electric market participants at the organization that runs the New York power grid, John is also currently chair of the New York Independent System Operator’s (NYISO) Business Issues Committee and is a past chair of the Operating Committee and the Transmission Planning Advisory Subcommittee.

In his spare time John is the quintessential tinkerer and enjoys collecting and restoring vintage radios and vacuum tube based electronic equipment.  He also helps his local church in its operational ministry and video streaming committees and has helped spearhead capital campaign fundraising.  He resides in Holliston, MA with his wife, two children, and their dog.