Jessica Polak

Jessica joined ANDRITZ in March 2025 as Regional Vice President Operations North America and was subsequently appointed Executive Vice President Operations North America earlier this year. She has now also assumed an officer role as Co-President of ANDRITZ Hydropower Canada. Alongside this new responsibility, she continues to lead engineering, supply chain, quality, and site installation activities across North America and shares overall responsibility for the Hydropower business of ANDRITZ Hydropower Canada.  

Drawing on a diverse leadership background spanning multiple industries, power generation technologies, and operational functions, Jessica brings a broad perspective to her role. While her journey with ANDRITZ Hydropower is still relatively recent, her experience has quickly enabled her to make a meaningful impact across the business.

She began in the steel industry, where she became the first female Maintenance Manager in the primary end of steelmaking. It was a role that broke new ground in a very practical way, including the need to build a women’s washroom in that area of the facility. From there, Jessica moved to Ontario Power Generation, starting in coal generation and later becoming part of the team that converted coal stations to biomass following the shutdown of coal in Ontario.

Eventually, she found her way into hydropower – and something resonated.

“Hydropower is, in many ways, a calling,” Jessica says.

Leading the operation of the Niagara Falls region generating stations as Regional Vice President was the role where hydropower became more than an assignment. It also marked another important first in her career: She was the first woman to hold a Regional Vice President role at OPG.

She later moved into nuclear, leading turbine generator refurbishment at Darlington Nuclear Station, before taking on a Vice President Supply Chain role supporting all major projects across OPG. As a mechanical engineer by background, with a degree in psychology and a master’s degree in business, Jessica brings together technical understanding, operational discipline, and a strong people-focused leadership perspective. 

For Jessica, one of the most motivating aspects of ANDRITZ is the combination of deep technical expertise, strong operational discipline, and a culture of collaboration. In demanding project environments, this mix enables teams to solve complex challenges and deliver meaningful results.

A defining part of her journey has been the move from the customer side to the supplier side. This shift reinforced how powerful perspective can be, especially in leadership roles. Having worked on many complex projects, she has seen that the best outcomes happen when customers, partners, and project teams truly operate as one team.

“The culture and behaviors required to achieve this level of collaboration are not accidental,” she says. “But once you experience it and understand what it takes to create it, there is nothing more powerful or more predictive of project success.”

As Jessica continues her journey with ANDRITZ, she is excited to contribute to the strength and growth of the Hydropower business in North America. Her focus is on helping teams deliver with discipline, safety, quality, and a shared commitment to customers.

Throughout her career, she has learned that large, complex projects are ultimately delivered by people who trust each other, challenge each other, and stay focused on a common purpose. That is the kind of environment she wants to help continue to build and sustain.