Operational Excellence · Regulated Infrastructure

Your programs
are running.
Outcomes aren't.

Optima Advisory Partners builds accountable operating systems inside IOUs — across electric, gas, and power generation operations. Not frameworks delivered as decks. Governance, Lean maturity, and AI adoption that produce $480M+ in documented savings — and hold after we leave.

Book a Discovery Call →See Our Capabilities
Track Record · Documented
$480M+
Hard Savings Delivered
Audited, documented, tied to real financial outcomes across regulated utility programs.
92.9%
Program Scorecard
Across 11+ years of OE programs inside operationally complex infrastructure.
72.5%
YoY Lean Maturity Gain
LAMA-measured improvement within a single operating organization.
500+
Leaders Developed
Lean coaching and A3 facilitation at enterprise scale — 162 sessions documented.
Proven in
⚡ Electric Operations
◈ Gas Operations
◎ Power Generation
◉ Enterprise AI Governance
◇ Lean Transformation
Who We Serve

The leader running three transformation programs that aren't connecting.

We work exclusively with senior operators in regulated, compliance-driven environments. If you're accountable for outcomes you don't fully control — that's our work.

Sr. Directors & VPs at Investor-Owned Utilities
Running Lean, SAP, or AI programs that were designed in isolation and are now colliding. Lean maturity scores moving on paper while the morning standup at the plant — or the district office — still runs on tribal knowledge and whiteboards. Accountable for savings projections that don't survive Finance's reclassification process.
Primary ICP
COOs & EVPs at Regulated Energy Companies
Responsible for an operating system built over decades of layered O&M and capital initiatives. Needs integration — not another program — and someone who can see the whole board before the next rate case filing.
Primary ICP
Enterprise Transformation Leads (OE, AI, Lean)
Technically capable but organizationally blocked. The work is right. The governance, accountability, and adoption infrastructure around it is missing — and the CPUC or FERC timeline doesn't wait for internal alignment.
Strategic Partner
What Brings Clients to Us

The five breakdowns we solve first.

01
Lean maturity scores improving on paper. Unchanged at the unit level.
02
Copilot or AI tools deployed across the enterprise. Zero governance. Nobody owns it.
03
Command centers full of data. Empty of decisions.
04
Operational excellence, digital transformation, and strategy programs running in parallel. Never designed to connect.
05
Savings identified in the field. Reclassified by Finance. Gone before the rate case closes.
06
Transformation launched. Training delivered. Behavior unchanged six months later.
Capabilities

Seven disciplines. One operating system.

We don't offer a service menu. Each engagement is built around a specific, documented breakdown — and a measurable outcome on the other side of it.

01 / 07
Operational Excellence Architecture
Lean that functions, not performs. Leader standard work, command center design, and A3 methodology embedded into how your org actually operates — not trained and forgotten.
02 / 07
AI Governance & Responsible Adoption
Most utilities have Copilot. Zero have governance. We build the intake architecture, accountability chain, and use-case framework before a single license creates a compliance exposure.
03 / 07
Affordability & Cost Governance
Expense vs. capital reclassification, unit cost standardization, waste elimination with a direct line to audited financial outcomes. The $480M+ is the track record, not the pitch.
04 / 07
Command Center Strengthening
The data is there. The decision isn't. We rebuild command centers so the rhythm creates accountability — not attendance. Every metric tied to an owner and an action.
05 / 07
Enterprise Integration (OE + Digital + Strategy)
When SAP S/4HANA, Lean OS, and AI enablement collide — someone has to hold the whole system. We're the integrator when no one else in the room has the full picture.
06 / 07
Leader Development & Lean Coaching
162 facilitated problem-solving sessions. 500+ leaders developed. Coaching that builds internal capability — so when the engagement ends, the system runs without us in the room.
07 / 07
Management of Change
Most transformations fail at adoption, not design. We build the change architecture — stakeholder alignment, communication cadence, resistance mapping, and behavioral accountability — so the system you launch is the one that sticks.
What We Stand For

The five pressures your regulators, board, and ratepayers are already tracking.

Every engagement is designed to move one or more of these. If it doesn't, we don't take it on.

01 / 05
Affordability & Prosperity
Your regulators, your board, and your ratepayers are all watching unit costs. At the same time. We build the operating systems that make sustainable cost performance visible and defensible.
02 / 05
Reliability & Resilience
Planned outage windows don't forgive broken governance. We design operating routines that hold under load — protecting customers, assets, and the grid when it counts.
03 / 05
Safety & Compliance
FERC and CPUC filings have a long memory. We build regulatory integrity into every solution — never trading compliance for short-term operational convenience.
04 / 05
Leadership & Culture
The operating system only holds if the people running it own it. We develop leaders at every level — from the boardroom to the field — building accountability and candor into the daily rhythm.
05 / 05
Innovation & Legacy
AI governance, Copilot adoption, digital transformation — the tools are real. The question is whether your org has the operating infrastructure to absorb them without creating new failure modes.
How We Operate

Five principles. Non-negotiable in every engagement.

Impact Over Activity
We measure success by lasting outcomes — not completed tasks, delivered decks, or billable hours.
Extreme Accountability
We own results and expect the same from our clients and partners. No ambiguity about who is responsible for what.
Alignment at Every Level
We engage boards, executives, and frontline teams — ensuring every solution works in practice, not just on paper.
Bold Humility
We challenge assumptions, seek feedback, and adapt quickly — modeling the learning culture we build for our clients.
Trust & Integrity
Transparent, ethical, and relentless in building public trust and industry confidence. In every communication and every deliverable.
How We Work
"I don't consult from the outside. I build operating systems from the inside — and I stay until they run without me."

Every engagement starts with a diagnostic. We identify the specific breakdown — not a category of problems. Then we build the system, coach the people, and measure the outcome in dollars, maturity points, or both.

No retainers for observation. No frameworks delivered as slide decks.

Diagnostic
We start with the specific breakdown — not a generic readiness assessment. What system is failing, and where does accountability end?
Design
Operating system architecture: governance structure, leader standard work, reporting cadence. Built for regulated environments.
Build & Coach
We build alongside your team. Coaching, facilitation, and real-time adjustment until the system runs under internal ownership.
Measure & Transfer
Every outcome documented. Financial savings, maturity scores, adoption rates. Transfer of ownership is built into the plan.
Elevation Engine™
Our leadership and culture development framework. Builds the behavioral accountability and operating rhythm that sustains maturity improvement after the engagement ends.
Clarity™
Operating system design methodology. Integrates operational excellence, digital transformation, and strategy into a single, governed, measurable system.
Affordability PMO
Financial governance and savings validation architecture. Tracks expense/capital reclassification, waste elimination, and unit cost performance with a direct line to audited outcomes.
Proof Point
Elevation Engine™ in Action
A large IOU's lean transformation had enterprise sponsorship but stalled during implementation. Leaders viewed lean as compliance, not leadership discipline. The Elevation Engine provided the structural backbone — connecting leadership behaviors to operational outcomes in nine months.
$20M+
Verified Savings
70%+
Lean Maturity Gain
350+
Leaders Engaged
9 Mo.
To Measurable Shift
"When structure meets commitment, operational excellence becomes not an initiative — but the way work gets done."
Download Case Study →
Your programs are running.
Let's get the outcomes moving.
30-minute diagnostic. We identify the specific breakdown and tell you exactly what it would take to fix it.
Book Discovery Call →
About Optima

Built from the inside out.

Our purpose: to be the strategic partner that empowers utility leaders, boards, and policymakers to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable energy — advancing prosperity, public trust, and operational excellence across the industry.

Optima Advisory Partners was built on 11 years embedded inside a large Western IOU — across electric, gas, and power generation operations. Not advising from the outside. The work was running programs, not recommending them.

On the electric side: built Lean waste elimination from the ground up with a direct affordability mandate — savings tied to rate case outcomes, not internal scorecards. In power generation: scaled a full Lean operating system across all five Lean plays — leader standard work, visual management, daily management, problem solving, and standard work.

The $480M+ in documented savings isn't a case study. It's an audit trail built from the inside — through 162 A3 problem-solving sessions, 500+ leaders coached, and a 92.9% program scorecard held across multiple operating organizations in a compliance-driven environment.

We work with organizations where regulatory exposure, O&M performance, and capital accountability have to coexist — and where the cost of a broken operating system shows up in rate cases and FERC filings, not just missed KPIs.

Anne-Mari SebergerStart a Conversation →
Track Record

The credentials that matter to your CFO and your board.

  • $480M+ Hard Savings Documented across multi-year regulated utility programs. Audited. Not estimated.Expense/capital reclassification · Waste elimination · Unit cost governance
  • 72.5% YoY Lean Maturity Improvement LAMA-measured. Single organization. Sustained after program completion.Leader standard work · Command center design · A3 methodology
  • AI Governance Architecture Copilot rollout designed with intake process, accountability structure, and use-case framework — pre-deployment.Large Western IOU · Power Generation organization-wide
  • PMP Certified · 11+ Years Across IOU Operations OE leadership embedded across electric, gas, and power generation — in compliance environments where outcomes are audited.
  • 5–10× Average Client ROI Across engagements. No retainer for observation. Outcome-based program design.
Start Here

If your programs are running
but your outcomes aren't —
let's talk.

A 30-minute diagnostic conversation. No pitch deck. No proposal. We identify the specific breakdown and tell you exactly what it would take to close the gap.

Book a Discovery Call →Send a Direct Email
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Caught between rising costs and broken systems?

You’re not alone.

You’ve tried the playbook. You’ve done more with less. 
Now it’s time to rebuild from the inside out.

Transform Your Operations: You can’t fix what you can’t see.

The Gemba is where the real work happens — and where we always start.

You can’t fix what you can’t see. That’s why our transformation work begins at the source — on the floor, in the field, with the frontline.
We listen. We observe. We uncover what’s really driving cost, complexity, and constraint.
Then we help you clear the fog and lead forward with confidence.

Business Meeting

Innovation Strategy Sessions

Collaborative workshops that transform operational challenges into actionable roadmaps for efficiency and growth.

Brainstorming

Continuous Improvement & Change Management

Systematic approaches to eliminate waste and build sustainable processes that evolve with your business needs.

Electrician

Industry Benchmarking & Collaboration

Leverage proven best practices tailored to your unique operational environment for measurable results.

Our Passion

Expert Solutions for Complex Challenges

We're passionate about transforming operational challenges into opportunities. Our systematic approach combines lean principles with deep industry knowledge to deliver solutions that not only cut costs but create sustainable value for your organization and stakeholders.

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Tangible Outcomes That Impact Your Bottom Line

$500M+

in cost savings (and growing)

93% Success

We boast a 91% initiative success rate from idea to operationalization (industry average is 33%)

5-10X

return on investment within the first year

©2024 by Optima Advisory Partners.

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