Team Q&A: Katarina Struckmann – API Product Manager

For our new API Product Manager Katarina Struckmann, sustainability and mitigating climate change are crucial. That’s why she’s developed her skills in connecting utilities with the appropriate distributed energy resources (DER) device partners whenever possible to increase demand flexibility initiatives. Join us in welcoming Katarina to the team!

How did your previous life prepare you for Virtual Peaker?

My career has been built around the idea of developing a sustainable, resilient, data-driven future. Before joining Virtual Peaker, I spent nearly a decade working on digital transformation in the manufacturing industry. My most recent role was as a product manager for a near-real-time streaming data platform that analyzed complex systems of interconnected devices, which has translated well to working with data from distributed energy resources (DERs). I’m excited to bring in other parts of my background, from controls engineering to partner enablement, as I get involved with new projects.

Tell us about your role at Virtual Peaker.

I recently joined Virtual Peaker as the API Product Manager, where I’ll primarily be coordinating integrations between partners’ technologies and our platform. These integrations are the communication channels that the platform uses to control distributed energy resources (DERs). I’ll also collaborate with other product managers on the ways their product suites interact with the API.

With my background in partner enablement in the manufacturing industry, I’m excited to continue collaborating with OEMs and other partners on developing effective, efficient solutions.

How do you personally engage in sustainability efforts?

Sustainability and climate change are some of the most pressing problems of our generation, and I’m committed to addressing them both at work and home. My partner and I have been electrifying our house with everything from air-source heat pumps to solar panels, and I’m excited to watch our energy output increase as the days get longer this spring.

I’m also committed to supporting native wildlife by removing invasive plants from my yard and replacing them with plants that provide nutritional value for local insects and birds. This year, I’m most excited about supporting a local endangered butterfly population by growing their host plant, eastern perennial lupine.

What can you tell us about yourself?

I stay occupied with a wide range of activities, some more relaxing than others. Depending on the season, I might be pulling invasive bittersweet vines out of the garden, taking care of our menagerie of houseplants, or starting seeds to plant outside in the spring, like the lupines. You can also often find me ascending or descending mountains: rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, or snowboarding (and, more rarely, hiking; it’s harder to outrun the mosquitoes).

I’m strongly motivated to protect the environment and maintain access to the activities we all enjoy. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work on sustainability and climate change with the team at Virtual Peaker, where the work we do will have multiplicative effects across our network of partners.