Chief Administrative Officer
Essential Utilities
Sue Haindl is a senior enterprise executive with diverse operating experience—from Fortune 100 companies to mid-sized corporations to consulting firms—across utilities, construction, automotive parts distribution, financial services, CPG, retail and the public sector. With a cross-disciplinary leadership career spanning Information Technology, Human Resources, Customer Experience Operations, Real Estate and Facilities and the Supply Chain, Sue has accelerated business transformation to position companies for sustained growth, operational success and services delivery excellence, while mitigating risk and advancing ESG efforts.
Throughout her career, Sue has led operationally focused M&A due diligence, integration and divestitures, steered performance turnarounds, built new business capabilities and served as the driving force to advance the digital transformation agenda.
Sue is currently the Chief Administrative Officer of Essential Utilities Inc., a $1.9B public company and one of the largest water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the US with two brands, Aqua and Peoples, operations in 10 states, and over 3,000 employees. Since joining the company in 2016, first as CAO of Aqua, Sue steered the transformation of four organizations—technology, customer experience, meter compliance program and fleet—and headed M&A integration planning efforts, including the $4.3B acquisition of Peoples, which expanded the company into the natural gas sector. Sue has also led the company’s COVID pandemic response strategy and is currently serving as chief architect of the Supplier Diversity Program.
Sue’s earlier company leadership experience includes Anexinet, a technology consulting firm; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Exelon; Keystone Automotive Operations; Deloitte; Kiwi Brands, a division of Sara Lee Corp. and Fidelity Bank.
Operating with a deep relational focus and understanding of organizational dynamics, Sue serves as a strong sounding board and advisor to executive leadership teams and as an influential cultural steward. She excels at navigating teams through periods of change and expansion and guiding judicious—and pragmatic—decision-making related to strategic direction, organizational structure, leadership, technology investments, enterprise program prioritization and resource allocation. She is a strong talent champion and leadership coach, helping others to achieve their full potential and inspiring thinking in new directions to determine the most profitable solutions for the business.
A strong champion for DEI and women’s career development, Sue is currently the Executive Sponsor of the Women’s Resource Group at Essential Utilities and a longstanding member of the Forum for Executive Women. She is also an experienced board member, with board service extending across multiple organizations: Union League of Philadelphia, including the Admission’s Committee; Strategic Planning Committee, Union League of Philadelphia’s Legacy Foundation, formerly Youth Work Foundation; Delaware County Chamber of Commerce; and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where she is an Audit Committee member.
Sue earned her MBA from St. Joseph’s University and graduated with a BBA degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.