After spending years in public accounting, Danielle Puente joined D.P. Electric Inc. as the controller. She quickly fell in love with construction and the hard-working, close-knit people who make up the industry. By 2023, she took on the role of president, responsible for leading the executive team and growing the business in a way that aligns with the company’s founding values.
D.P. Electric Inc. was founded in 1990 and over the course of 30+ years has become one of the leading full-service electrical contracting firms in the Southwest. The firm has become an industry leader in healthcare, industrial, aviation commercial, and mission-critical sectors. D.P. Electric Inc. is a 100% employee-owned company with over 800 employees in Arizona and Texas.
Under Puente’s leadership, the company grew from $82 million to $200 million from 2021 to 2023 and expanded to Austin, Texas. The company was also named a top place to work for seven years.
“Danielle is a titan in the industry because her goal is ultimately to serve the growing team at D.P. Electric Inc. and create the best work environment possible, which in turn will have a lasting impact on the industry,” said her staff. “Creating a strong culture takes a lot of discipline and is seen in the big and small actions of leadership – Danielle has encouraged the team to dream even bigger.”
In her role, Puente has expanded free and paid training, added benefits such as increased time off and other wellness initiatives, and made appreciation a core part of day-to-day life. She has also joined a peer group with the Arizona Growth Advisors to learn best practices from other business coaches as well as her peers.
According to her staff, Puente spends a lot of time visiting job sites and having one-on-one conversations with senior field and project management leaders to better understand their challenges. “Her ability to listen and empathize with those leaders has earned her the respect of the team,” they said.
Puente said that her calm nature is her secret superpower. “When other team members approach me, fired up about a recent situation, I can often bring down the temperature in the room by listening and asking the right questions that help others to look past the immediate crisis and find the best long-term solution,” she said. “I think my even-keeled temperature gives our organization a level of consistency and stability that others appreciate.”
Committed to constantly learning, Puente said that a successful leader must listen more than they speak. “The biggest indication of success as a leader is someone’s ability to build up those around them,” she said.
