GreenH2@Work Employee Spotlight: Ashley Chicorelli
“I wanted to find a company that would challenge me and motivate me and when I saw Plug and all that they were doing, I knew this was a great opportunity and I had to go for it.”
Ashley Chicorelli has been with Plug as a Total Rewards Specialist in the Human Resources department since August 2023. A big part of her job focuses on benefits administration and compensation for employees in the U.S. and abroad. She also manages leaves of absence in the U.S. “Earlier in my career, I got involved in recruiting and training and then got my foot into benefits administration. I love the multifaceted part of working in benefits – the human and the analytical pieces.”
Ashley began her career in finance before transitioning to Plug. The finance industry is very structured and conservative – people can grow and learn, but must stay within the box. She was looking for something where growth, forward thinking and progression were not only appreciated, but encouraged.
The hydrogen and fuel cell industry was completely new to Ashley. She didn’t really know about it when she started. “I love to learn new things and grow. I’m not afraid to ask questions. I’ll always want to know more. The whole process is exciting. Now when people ask me what Plug does, I kind of nerd out and give them a longer answer than they might want. It’s so cool!”
After a year working at Plug, Ashley has found that “no two days are ever the same. Just when you’re starting to get comfortable, things change and you have to think on your feet. You feel super accomplished and then things change again and you just have to keep rolling.”
Managing through the changes takes a healthy balance of caffeine and sarcasm. “Sometimes you just have to think fast and make quick decisions. Other times you have the time to make a plan and see it through to execution.” One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the opportunity to grow and learn new things, something Ashley values highly.
When she isn’t working with Plug, Ashley spends time with her family. She has a 10 year old son starting to get involved in lots of things. She and her husband enjoy spending time with friends and family that have kids of similar ages. She also enjoys yoga, walking, and Zumba. For now, Ashely likes spending time outdoors in 3 seasons – but not winter. She’s working on that. Her son is encouraging her to learn snowboarding. We have no doubt she will succeed!
