Rakesh Agrawal
CEO
Rakesh Agrawal has served the energy industry since the beginning of his career, and is considered a thought leader and true innovator across the industry. Since the early 1990’s, Rakesh has helped guide numerous companies through market de-regulation and the highly dynamic marketplace evolution that has been unfolding ever since then. He has been serving as a NAESB Board Member and Executive Committee Member for the Wholesale Gas Quadrant for the past five years. As a seasoned professional and a highly regarded visionary, Rakesh leads Trellis Energy in delivering complex, multi-tier, mission-critical solutions to Fortune 1000 companies. His ability to first understand and then envision a unique and scalable solution while still complying to the strict regulations required by the energy industry has made him a tremendous asset for all of Trellis Energy’s clients.
Rakesh holds an M.B.A. in Finance and Operations Research Decision Science from the University of Kentucky, and a Bachelor’s in Material Science Engineering from the Regional Engineering College, India, and he has earned numerous industry certifications in Information Systems Integration and Management. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, photography and spending time with his family.
Archana Srivastava
VP Product and Engineering
Archana Srivastava is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of comprehensive technical, management, and leadership experience in architecting complex, enterprise level IT solutions. During the course of her career, she has developed deep expertise in the Financial Services and Energy industries. She has driven the productization of the Trellis software platform for both its On-Premise and SaaS offerings. As an integral part of the Trellis leadership team, she directs and helps drive business and product strategies from concept to launch. Her leadership in defining product and service offerings, pricing strategies, hosting solutions, and organizational build-out has proven invaluable to the Trellis organization. Archana is a key member of the overall Trellis Program Strategy Committee, and she maintains direct responsibility for Product Management, Product Engineering, Service Delivery, and Sales Support.
Archana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from City University of New York. She believes in continuous improvement and innovation. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening and trail running.
Ken Hans
VP Sales and Services
Ken Hans is the Vice President of Trellis Sales and Services. Ken is responsible for Trellis customer success and brings more than 20 years of experience in the information technology industry. His 14 year tenure with Blackstone includes a proven track record of delivery across program management, strategic architecture, business process engineering, user experience, mobile programs, CRM, digital innovation, and large-scale complex IT initiatives. Ken has been managing business development and delivery of digital transformation engagement for clients in North and Latin America for the past six years, and is currently responsible for multiple global energy engagements in the natural gas and electric utility sectors. As part of the Trellis Senior Leadership team, Ken oversees new client relationship development, Trellis engagement delivery, and customer satisfaction.
Ken holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He believes in building cohesive teams and “doing what it takes” to make clients successful. Outside of work, Ken enjoys raising his four young children with his wife Liz, playing guitar, and doing triathlons.
Steve Kusters
Senior Director, Services
Steve Kusters is the Director of Client Services at Trellis Energy. He oversees all client service engagements and manages delivery of diverse initiatives such as Big Data Analytics, Mobile, and the Grid of Things (GoT). Steve has a 5 -year tenure with the firm, and previously served as Senior Technical Manager, where he focused on Financial Services client success in mobile banking, responsive site delivery, and complex system integration.
Throughout his 20-year career, Steve has provided solutions for a variety of clients in North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand. He has proven success working across the telecom, media, hosting, financial services, and energy sectors.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems from George Mason University.
Zena Sidhu
Director, Services
Zena Sidhu brings over 15 years of dedicated Client Services experience including large scale complex program management, enterprise software implementation, and training programs. She leads the Professional Services division of Trellis Energy and is chartered with the direct responsibility of ensuring that each client implementation of the Trellis platform is successful. Prior to joining Trellis, Zena worked at Xpand, JP Morgan Chase, and Deloitte, where she lead various IT implementations and engagements in both the private and public sectors.
Zena holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gulbarga University, India, and is a certified PMP, Scrum Master and MCP. She resides in the Washington, D.C. area with her family and enjoys outdoor activities with her kids.
Korrie Courneen
SHRM-SCP, Director, Human Resources
Korrie Courneen possesses over 15 years of Human Resources experience and expertise. Her most extensive experience is in developing compelling internal programs, policies and initiatives designed to enhance the overall employee experience. She has been the primary architect for Trellis Energy’s compensation, benefits, and retention strategies, and she has developed several employee recognition and celebration programs that have truly helped elevate the company culture and performance to new heights each and every year.
Korrie holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from Santa Clara University; she holds the certification of Senior Certified Professional through the Society for Human Resources Management, SHRM-SCP. She resides in the Bay Area and enjoys spending time with her daughter.
Julia Schaefer
Senior Manager, Marketing
Julia Schaefer is Trellis Energy’s Senior Marketing Manager and has over 12 years of experience in the field of marketing and advertising. Prior to joining Trellis Energy, Julia worked for many Fortune 500 companies including Johnson & Johnson, where she launched their Canadian digital marketing platform and built a best-in-class email marketing initiative. Julia won a Digital Arts Award for her work in launching a gaming site for Whiskas, and she was also named a finalist for Johnson & Johnson’s prestigious internal global marketing honor, the James E. Burke Award.
Julia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, and has earned a Certificate of Digital Marketing from the Canadian Marketing Association.