NRG People Power: Get to Know Rachel Gallagher

During NRG’s recent Customer Experience Week, we celebrated the people behind the interactions our customers engage with every day. While customer experience is often measured through resolutions, responsiveness, and service, those metrics begin with something less visible: empowered, supported teams and leaders who help others grow.

Few people embody that philosophy more fully than Rachel Gallagher. As Manager of East Client Services for NRG Business, Rachel is known for her energy, curiosity, and willingness to pitch in wherever needed. She believes great customer experiences start with strong roots, just like great careers, and when people feel grounded and supported, they gain the confidence and skills to soar. 

The front door to NRG

Rachel oversees a team responsible for supporting a wide range of customer needs. Alongside her supervisors, Rachel helps guide a contact center handling everything from billing questions and payment confirmations to escalations, vendor forms, and online account support. On busy days, you can even find Rachel putting on a headset and taking calls herself, with an inspiring “all hands on deck” approach.

Between coaching, monitoring call flow trends, removing obstacles for her agents, and planning improvements, Rachel spends much of her day solving puzzles. Many of which involve helping customers navigate challenges unique to their business.

Increasingly, those challenges include helping shape the future of customer care itself. Rachel and her team were among the first at NRG to implement AI agents, using the technology to streamline routine requests, surface cleaner data more quickly, and give employees more time to focus on the issues that require critical thinking and human empathy.

“The biggest puzzle is that you never know what’s coming,” she says. “Every customer situation is different. The human element is crucial.”

That unpredictability is exactly what keeps the work engaging. Whether addressing a complex issue or simply assuring a customer, Rachel believes that customer care starts with genuine human connection, meeting people where they are, and helping them move forward with confidence.

Growing people, growing possibilities

Ask Rachel what she enjoys most about her role, and her answer is immediate — the people.

For her, one of the most rewarding aspects of working in Care is watching employees grow.

Over the years, she has seen team members develop new skills, gain confidence, and move into roles across NRG, a transition she actively encourages. Great customer care agents are a true asset, but Rachel doesn’t believe in hoarding that wealth — a contact center isn’t simply a support function, it’s a launching pad for careers.

“In Care, you learn so much about the industry, and the company,” she says. “With the voice of the customer in your head, you can take that advocacy with you wherever you go.”
Having spent time across multiple areas of the business herself, Rachel understands the value of that strong foundation. 

Curiosity creates connection

Interestingly, Rachel never planned on building a career in energy.

After earning a degree in International Business from Erie, Pennsylvania’s Gannon University, Rachel planned to work in international relocations. When that path stalled after 9/11, she pivoted to community organizing for the March of Dimes and other temporary work.

In 2005, a friend recommended she apply for a job with Pittsburgh-based Strategic Energy (now part of NRG). She didn’t know much about energy, but she knew how to listen, pitch in, and collaborate.

Since joining the company, Rachel has worked across departments including, pricing, billing, utility operations, key client services analysis, and customer care, gaining a broad understanding of how different parts of the business connect. A six-month assignment in the UK with former Direct Energy parent company, Centrica, further strengthened her ability to bridge communication between frontline teams and leadership.

Shaped by that experience, Rachel developed a philosophy that still guides her work today: stay curious. Rather than following a single career path, she embraced every opportunity to learn how each team contributes to customer experience, whether they are directly customer-facing or not.

For her, the lesson is simple. “The more perspectives you understand, the better you can help each other help our customers.”

Throwing elbows for her community

Outside of work, Rachel’s passion for helping others extends far beyond the office.

She stays active in charitable causes, including St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and PanCan, organizations whose missions align with her desire to support people through challenges.

Rachel is a self-described hobby collector, a gardener, baker, and a skilled hostess who enjoys creating themed game-day buffets with her husband to share with friends and family. She recently has also taken up DIY projects, helping family members tackle multiple home renovations.

Rachel admits with a laugh that people might be surprised to learn she briefly skated with a roller derby team, a chapter that highlights her willingness to be a team player and try new things.

Whether she’s volunteering, leading a team, or installing cabinet hardware, Rachel approaches each opportunity with the same qualities she brings to work every day: enthusiasm, high standards, and a readiness to get down in the scrum and push.

Roots and wings

Rachel describes herself as someone who believes that growth requires movement.

“You can’t stay still,” she says. “You have to keep moving and evolving.”
That outlook reflects the environment she hopes to create for customers and employees alike: one where change is embraced, learning is encouraged, and progress never stops.

Those qualities have earned Rachel recognition across the organization. At this year’s President’s Club Awards, she received the MVP of the Year trophy, honoring her efforts to strengthen team culture through trust, respect, and shared expectations, while driving meaningful operational improvements that enhanced the customer experience.

For Rachel, however, success is measured less by awards and more by the people around her; it’s the customer who feels heard, the employee who discovers their passion for a new career path, and the team member who develops confidence in their abilities.

On the heels of Customer Experience Week and every day that follows, Rachel’s story serves as a reminder that exceptional customer experiences are never accidental. They’re nurtured through curiosity, accountability, and true care, creating the conditions for people to thrive, both inside and outside the company.