As our summer interns prepare for the upcoming fall semester or their next career opportunities, a few of our senior leaders shared words of wisdom on adversity, triumphs and the importance of embracing the dynamic and fluid nature of the professional journey:

Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary, shared that road bumps are inevitable. In fact, Ghartey-Tagoe joked that he’d earned a PhD in “pretty hard days.” That’s when maintaining the right outlook mattered most. “Your attitude can determine your altitude,” Ghartey-Tagoe said. “We all face adversity, but it’s how you deal with it that determines whether you lay flat on your back or rise to new levels.”

Bonnie Titone, senior vice president and chief administrative officer, recalled a time early in her career when she declined a new leadership opportunity, believing she didn’t have the right skillset to take it on. “After I declined, [my boss] called me and said, ‘I really think this is something you should entertain,’” Titone said. “He thought I had all the attributes needed to be a successful leader, and he would be there to support me. Those words changed everything for me. Just knowing someone would have my back and be supportive really changed the track of my career.”

Sharene Pierce, vice president, talent acquisition and chief diversity and inclusion officer, shared her belief that to reach your full potential, you must embrace the challenge of navigating the unknown. “When you’re stretched or learning something new or receiving difficult feedback, those are uncomfortable situations,” Pierce said. “But growth is not always easy. So get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” 

We are immensely proud of our interns and hope they close out the 2024 summer internship session feeling ready to take on their next challenges with confidence.

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Duke Energy

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2023 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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