Our first employee spotlight series features an interview with Dr. Gillian Dagan, VP of Energy Transition at AmSpec. Gillian discusses her journey to AmSpec, where she leads global efforts in energy transition and sustainability with a diverse team comprised of professionals from various backgrounds in agriculture, engineering, and sustainability. Before joining AmSpec, Dr. Dagan accumulated over 20 years of experience in the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) industry, transitioning from a hands-on scientist to managing and commercial roles. Gillian reflects on her early unconventional jobs in hospitality, which taught her valuable lessons in effective communication and expectation management. She explains her transition from food testing to energy, highlighting the significance of compliance and integrity in supporting clients across different industries. Ultimately, Gillian’s most fulfilling moments at work come from solving complex client problems, showcasing the essential role of TIC companies in promoting sustainable practices in energy and agriculture.
Who are you, and how did you get here?
I’m Gillian Dagan, the VP of Energy Transition at AmSpec. I joined AmSpec about 1.5 years ago to lead the global effort to expand our energy transition and sustainability service lines. This entails strategy development, working with our experts to develop new services, and devising proper go-to-market approaches. My team is spread across the globe and is a mix of agricultural, engineering, environmental, and sustainability backgrounds. We primarily support clients with energy transition and sustainability goals in the Energy and Agriculture fields, but as we expand, our client mix is becoming more diversified into importers, textiles, and carbon markets.
Where were you before joining AmSpec?
I have spent over 20 years in the TIC industry, working for privately owned labs and global testing, inspection, and certification firms. Early on, I was a scientist working on food quality contract research, and then I transitioned into the commercial side of testing. I have managed teams of scientists and sales and marketing professionals. During my career, I have worked in operations, strategy, and commercial roles.
Please share a little bit about your background — what was your first job?
In high school, I earned money tutoring in math, French, and Latin, but my first official paycheck came from working in a virology lab at the University of South Florida. It didn’t feel much like work since I had started doing research there through an academic program; all in all, it was not really a typical first job. My first typical job was working as a hostess at Carrabba’s Italian Grill.
Where did you learn more — at the virology lab or Carrabba’s?
I’d probably have to say Carrabba’s! In the virology lab, I knew the science behind the tools I was using and was just trying to apply them in a new way. At Carrabba’s, I was thrown into the deep end of being the first impression for every guest. I learned how to manage guests’ expectations and allocate resources not to overwhelm the servers or the kitchen, and I upped my small talk game. To this day, I love hospitality. There is a certain satisfaction of doing a job well for a guest and a bonus of enjoying just a little of everyone’s celebrations that you touch. Many of those skills served me well at jobs in the ‘real world.’
How did you get into TIC?
During my last year in graduate school, I worked part-time for a food testing lab. I loved that. As a third-party independent lab, we worked with various companies, solving different problems each day. When you work in testing, inspection, and certification, you realize that you are key in moving goods around the world. I still feel that way today. AmSpec is a key team member in our clients’ energy and agricultural supply chains.
From food to energy transition—how did you make that leap?
Changing focus is easy when you love to learn. Moving into energy transition and sustainability provided me with a new set of regulations to learn and new business drivers to understand, but the main goal is the same – to make sure we keep our clients compliant with regulations and ensure value across their supply chains. We provide services from biofuel testing, deforestation compliance, life cycle assessment to carbon credit verifications. In all of these instances, we provide unbiased and actionable data. When you boil it down, leading in testing, inspection, and certification just supports client needs with integrity, regardless of the field.
What have you learned in your professional life that you use in your personal life?
Manage expectations. This holds true for a client who is hoping for a low carbon intensity score for a new biofuel pathway or for a teenager who wants to put off homework until the last possible moment. I do my best to explain the possible outcomes of a scenario and prepare everyone involved. Taking the time to talk through how a project or interaction will go may seem like overkill, but it lets all parties understand where the other is coming from before crunch time. It is amazing how quickly we can work together when we understand one another’s priorities.
What has been the key to your success over the years?
Asking questions. I’ve always wanted to understand the “why” behind statements. This was useful as a scientist early in my career, and now, as an executive, it is just as powerful. The more I investigate, the more I can put myself in someone else’s shoes. I can understand their motivations, which means I can be the most useful version of myself for that person. And when you can help someone achieve their goals, you both win.
What is your best day at work?
My best day at work has always been when we solve a problem for a client that they could not solve themselves. This sounds a little cliche, but as a third-party testing lab, we are an extension of the client’s team that provides unique know-how where and when needed and as quickly as possible. That is no easy feat. In addition, the energy transition and climate-positive services that my team provides are also helping to improve our planet. That makes a good day even better.
