industry insider

Cassie Bennington
Business Intelligence Analyst Foster Fuels
Describe your current role at your company.
I create and maintain reports and dashboards to help make informed business decisions. I also help improve/automate manual processes. I love my job because I am always working on something different and I get to help my coworkers and leadership do their jobs more efficiently.
How did you get your start in the propane industry?
I got my start in the propane industry when I was hired at Foster Fuels almost three years ago. Prior to that, I had worked in very different industries but still doing reporting. I’m glad that Foster Fuels gave me the opportunity because I have since learned so much about the fuel industry, and I’m continually learning more!
If you could change something in the industry, what would you change?
I would change the classification of propane as a fossil fuel. Propane is a clean, efficient and highly practical energy solution, and we should be positioning it that way. If we shift the narrative and increase adoption, we have a real opportunity to make a meaningful impact for both our industry and the environment.
What do you think would surprise someone about the job you do?
I think something that would surprise someone about my job is how much of the business I have to understand. To fully assist when questions come up, I really have to know how our business runs in all respects. I have worked with all areas in the company to help with their data needs. And over time, I have learned so much about all the different positions here and how they interact with each other. I think it has given me greater respect for what my coworkers do since I see all the work that goes into each position.
Name some of your greatest personal successes.
I am proud of the adoption of reporting within our company since I’ve been working here. We have so many people looking at reports daily and using them to make business decisions. I think that is a big accomplishment to have people trust the data that you are putting in front of them and also have them asking questions and wanting to dig deeper into the information.
Describe some of the biggest professional challenges you’ve experienced over your career.
I think one of the biggest challenges that I’ve faced in my current position is adjusting to working in an industry that I didn’t have experience with prior. There was a learning curve with all the industry lingo and how the data works in relation to propane. It was something that just took time to learn, and I had to rely on my coworkers to help me out and answer all my questions while learning!
Who has/have been the strongest influences in your career to date?
My parents have been the strongest influence in my career. They both worked hard in their careers and taught me the value of a strong work ethic and to take pride in the work that I do. They always pushed me to do my best and treat everyone with respect along the way.
What did you want to do for a living growing up?
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a teacher. I would always play school and force my family to sit through lessons and do worksheets that I would grade. As I got older, I realized that I really enjoy math and statistics and went in that direction. But in my current role, I still have the opportunity to teach within my company by educating on our data, reports and tools!
What’s something not a lot of people know about you?
I love traveling and especially visiting national parks. My long-term goal is to visit all the national parks in the U.S. Most recently, I visited Yosemite National Park, and it was beautiful! I just love to see all the drastically different landscapes that we have across the country.
If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If I had to pick one meal to have for the rest of my life, I think it would have to be a burrito bowl. This is something that I eat at least once a week and I would never get tired of it!
What do you do to relax after a day of work?
I love spending time with my family and my two dogs! I enjoy working in my garden in the evenings after work. On the weekends, you can find me working on an HGTV-inspired home improvement project! I love taking classes to learn new skills, like crocheting, cooking and most recently, pottery!
