The expert interview of the Switchgear Content with Mr. Alan Ross, Transformer Technology & APC Media Managing Editor

Q1- Kindly provide an introduction to yourself and your company, detailing the company's involvement in the switchgear industry.

I am Alan Ross, retired CEO of Electric Power Reliability Alliance and decades-long career in executive and corporate strategy within the power industry, with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Ga Tech and an MBA from Ga State University.

Upon retirement, I was asked by my friend Marin Dugandzic if I would be interested in taking on the Editorial Directors role for Transformer Technology a new magazine he was hoping to launch.

Being retired, I had the time and since I have always been a lifelong learner, I decided, why not learn about an entirely different industry, the publishing sector, while I use my many great friends and contacts within the power industry? Maybe it will keep me busy and my wife of 49 years Sara from telling me to get out of the house, I thought at the time.

From then until now, it has been an incredible journey. Now we publish in three communities our digital magazines, Power Systems Technology, Transformer Technology, and Women In Power Systems. We have three divisions, Magazine, Video, and Social Media/Digital, and have over 21,000 community members and rapidly growing.

We are at the forefront of a new way of bringing quality content to the market through the integration of all three divisions, supporting over 100 great clients who are committed to using their marketing $ for the maximum return.

Q2- How do you foresee the future market for electrical equipment, particularly switchgear? What is the significance of your company within this market?

While Power Systems Technology is the umbrella over the whole system, we see distinct needs in the most important components within the power system. While there certainly are more ways to look at it, we think separating transformers and switch gear is important because the issues surrounding them may be similar, but they are different enough to require unique approaches.

Both transformers and switchgear suffer the same problems: Aging beyond their normal expected life, demand, and supply issues causing major bottlenecks as we upgrade the grid, and technology advances that are making it mandatory that we adapt if we are to digitize, decentralize, and decarbonize the modern grid.

Aging electric system infrastructure and severe climate change events are impacting switchgear even more significantly than transformers. Add to that, the revolution in solid-state technologies and major changes in SF6 breakers, along with the rapidly changing switchgear environment it is clear that we are undergoing dramatic shifts in technology.

Q3- Has your company introduced any new products or innovative solutions in the switchgear industry in recent years? Please elaborate on this.

The changes that have taken place in the media space since the advent of digitalization have been at a pace we have not seen since the advent of TV or the introduction of the World Wide Web for advertising or promotion.

We have been using video - through interviews with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) at most major industry events, and have been using social media, along with publishing magazines under the Power Systems Technology, Transformer Technology, and Women in Power Systems. Recently we have developed three distinct divisions, linked by a common cause.

That common cause is integrating editorial and commercial content to create strategic media plans for our clients, linking all three divisions together. Even for those clients who want only transactional support, we still integrate magazines, videos, and social media to maximize the message.

Today power industry professionals want good information to make a wise and informed buying decision. They don’t want to be sold anything and they are very selective as to who they give access to. Given the rapid increase in our communities, we are honored to be given access to this dynamic community of experts.

Q4- How do you assess the impact of digital marketing on the growth of your company's brand and services? Are you acquainted with the services offered by the Switchgear Content platform in this regard?

While digital is a part of it, integration of different methods of delivery has become even more important as the changes taking place in how professionals access communications and integrating video, print, and social media has become the new standard.

We are delighted that Switchgear Content will be our newest Alliance Partner, where we will share content, maximizing the quality content we provide to the power industry.

Please see this website for more information:

Power System Technology Magazine

www.apc.media is our corporate website.