Life at IGS: Meet Nadia Zahran
From studying biological neuroscience while managing bars to crunching numbers at CPA firms, Nadia Zahran’s career path has been anything but ordinary. But it wasn’t until she transitioned into the HR space that she found her true passion.
“The ultimate question was, what did I enjoy most about my mixture of jobs?” said Nadia, HR compensation partner. “And it was always the people aspect.”
Since joining the IGS Energy team in 2023, Nadia’s carved out a unique HR niche, tapping into both her people and math skills while focusing on policy, compliance, and compensation — and making her mark on our culture.
“The whole reason I got into HR was my passion for equity and fairness, and my belief that there should be no barriers to success based on individual differences,” Nadia said. “I love that I get to ensure that we pay fairly and equitably, and that we value everyone's contribution as an individual. We treat everyone like the full person that they are. And that's something I'm proud of every day.”
From pouring pints to supporting a purposeful people strategy, Nadia’s gained broad knowledge through her academic and career experiences. Here, she delves into her connection with IGS.
Finding a career home
I’ve been with IGS as a full-time employee for about a year and a half. I started as a contractor and quickly fell in love with the company, so I was incredibly excited to join as a permanent employee just a few months after starting.
From the moment I joined, I was welcomed with open arms; it didn’t feel like other contracts I’d worked on. At IGS, you immediately feel at home and part of the team, which can be very difficult in a contract environment, let alone a remote one. When I started to look for a full-time role again, IGS was my first choice.
Empowering employees through compensation and community
My work involves enhancing the compensation journey for our employees: continuing our work with career-pathing and pay equity, providing more value through education and compensation philosophy, and ensuring that we provide the best employee experience around.
I’ve also led the IGS Pride Community for a year, and I recently joined the IGS Women's Network. These groups have enriched my work, helping me connect more with my fellow colleagues and people who have similar shared experiences.
I appreciate working for a company that lets us be our whole selves, lets us express pride in who we are, and lets these IGS Community employee resource groups live. I like learning more about our employee population, getting to know what's important to them, and bringing in resources and guest speakers that really make an impact on the employee experience.
A holistic, purposeful approach to workplace health
IGS cares deeply about the well-being and success of our employees, and it shows. I truly believe that from our executive leadership to our entry-level team members, we all believe in doing the right thing — whether that's helping expand access to renewable energy or making sure everyone feels welcome, comfortable, and like they're contributing.
The emphasis on mental health, the spirit of transparency and open communication, giving back to the community, making a difference in the world around us — that's something that shines through with anyone you talk to at IGS.
Work-life blend, Detroit-style
I'm in Detroit, so I work remotely. I greatly appreciate the fact that IGS gives us the flexibility to decide where and how we work. I feel like I'm a good example of this, because I go to a coworking space when I need the human interaction but can work from home when I want to. That flexibility is something I really, really appreciate, and it's very important to me.
I’ve been hosting and writing trivia for a local Detroit-grown trivia company called Quizzo for 6 years. I’m also an internationally ranked competitive axe thrower, and I enjoy cooking and painting. I love being outside, and I spend a lot of my time with my boyfriend and his 9-year-old daughter.
Mobility in future growth
Continued growth, continued expansions, continued innovations, such as our renewable dairy biogas product, are extremely interesting to me. I’m excited to grow with the business and show the rest of the company the value we can add through intentional career pathing and internal mobility. Growing from within is very important to me.