Blake is a core leader of McKinsey Implementation and our Electric Power & Natural Gas Practice, focused on driving sustainable change through large-scale transformations. His transformation work is focused primarily in heavy-asset industries, particularly in electric utilities. As a former nuclear engineer, Blake works primarily in the electric power sector, serving federal and state utilities as well as merchant power providers across the United States and Canada.
Blake has led the development and delivery of multiple large-scale change programs focused on identifying and sequencing appropriate transformation activities, identifying change agents, and building core capabilities within the organization to deliver lasting change.
Examples of Blake’s work include the following:
- designed and directed a three-year cost, culture, and capability transformation across all business units of a large Midwest utility
- drove a total cost transformation focused on operations and maintenance, fuel, dispatch, and loading across nine power plants for a merchant power provider
- developed and implemented a 12-week field-and-forum training program to build transformation capabilities throughout organizations; delivered to clients across five industries and more than 300 change agents
- executed a performance transformation for a regulated nuclear fleet in the United States, driving supervisor effectiveness to unlock improved performance
- supported the design of a multi-year transformation for a regulatory agency in the United States
- designed the five-year digital transformation for a US nuclear fleet, focused on cost management and performance improvement
Blake led a multi-year McKinsey research effort to understand the elements of transformation programs that result in sustainable change. He has authored multiple publications focused on helping clients identify appropriate actions before, during, and after transformation to ensure sustainable change.