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01/30/2026
11:00am - 1:30pm
Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
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This morning we welcomed members to the June Women’s Network Breakfast at the Westin Boston Waterfront to do some morning mingling and hear from Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, and a member of the Chamber’s Executive Committee.
Marcy opened by giving us a bit of context on her time at National Grid. She joined National Grid in 1988 and has held various positions in finance, merger integration, and corporate affairs throughout her time with the company. She even spent three years in London as the head of Investor Relations for National Grid, right after National Grid acquired Niagara Mohawk.
Now in her current role as President for the past six years, Marcy says that she really enjoys that her work brings her out into the community, where she’s able to meet people from all walks of life and touch their lives through National Grid’s commitment to service.
“The storm comes in and we go out,” she says.
Marcy added an interesting twist to her prepared remarks when she connected her work philosophy to the poem by Robert Fulghum, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” She pulled fourteen points from the poem to show that there really is truth to his title.
Here are a few that stuck out to me:
Share
Marcy encouraged attendees to build relationships, both in and outside of your company. Relationships are everything, and Marcy emphasized this by challenging our members to introduce ourselves to someone new before the morning was over.
Play fair
Be authentic – this is something that Marcy told us she feels is particularly important. Be you, she said. Be who you are and let everyone else be who they are.
Don’t hit people
Yes, this one brought a few laughs from the audience, but Marcy taught us to remember these words to stay calm in a crisis. Take a breath, have confidence, lead calmly and the rest will follow.
Clean up your own mess
Marcy took this one as an invitation to take risks, when appropriate. Whether it be a new job in a new city, or a potential opportunity to take on a new project, Marcy has always gone for it and never regretted it. Take a new opportunity and use it as a learning experience.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours
This one can be taken pretty literally: don’t take credit for other’s work, and, if you make a mistake, own up to it. You’ll earn far more points for applauding someone else and celebrating their work then if you take credit for an idea or work that wasn’t yours.
Wash your hands before you eat
The world can be a tough place at times, so Marcy recommended that we rise above the negative and the gossip that can come along with it. This will help to foster a positive working environment for you and your colleagues.
Warm cookies and milk are good for you AND take a nap every afternoon
These two points play off of each other. We sometimes get so caught up in our work that we forget to take time for ourselves and retreat to our desk for lunch. Marcy suggested that we make time for a break from our work and go outside for lunch, even if we just walk around the block or sit on a bench outside the office for some fresh air. Take time for yourself and recharge – it’ll help you be more productive in the afternoon.
When you’re out in the world, hold hands and stick together
Always work on not only developing yourself, but developing others as well. Marcy encouraged us to support one another, collaborate, lead through others, and celebrate each other’s successes. A great way to do this is to nominate yourself or a superstar colleague for our Women’s Leadership Program – now accepting nominations through the end of next week!
Thank you, Marcy for your great early morning words of wisdom!
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