TAO Member Spotlight: John Kochavatr

Where do you currently work? Portland General Electric (PGE)

‍What’s your title? VP and Chief Information Officer

‍In which city (or cities) is your company located? We are headquartered in Portland, and we have several locations all around metro Portland down to Salem.

‍In what year was your company founded? 1888 (you can’t stay around as long as we have without innovating!)

‍Describe the company you work for and its product/mission. PGE advances society by leading our clean energy future for half of Oregon residents and businesses.

‍Why is your company a member of TAO? Our vision of a clean energy future means getting everyone involved from individuals to organizations of all sizes.  Technology, collaboration, thought leadership, and policy all play a giant role in making this happen.  TAO is the nexus for all these ingredients in Oregon, and we are proud to be members.

‍What do you, personally, like best about being a TAO member? The shared sense of purpose and networking with technology leaders from a diverse set of organizations across the state.  It’s often the case that you are only two or three degrees of separation from accessing a variety of resources and relationships.  The inclusivity and influence in the organization are extraordinary.

‍What’s your favorite thing about our region’s tech ecosystem? The innovation, creativity, community, and scrappiness of Oregon tech are awesome.  There is purpose-driven leadership here that is unique to the region.

‍What is your hope for the future of tech in Oregon & SW Washington? I would love to see the region evolve into a hub for purpose-driven technology leaders.  If you really want to change the world and make a dent in the universe, you’ll come here.