People of Vaisala: Lee Doyle, Head of Power Sales, North America

People of Vaisala is a spotlight series that shows what it looks and feels like to work at Vaisala in different roles, teams, and locations. In each story, we meet one colleague and explore how one of our three behaviors (Pioneering, Curious, Committed) shows up in their everyday work. This time: Curious.

From engineering to a career in Power sales

Based in South Carolina, Lee Doyle is Head of Power Sales in North America. He leads a North American sales team for Vaisala’s power line products while also managing his own sales territory in the southeastern United States. His route to sales began with a degree in mechanical engineering. During the late 2000s, he found an opportunity at a startup in the power industry, working on grid-scale energy-storage projects. That experience sparked a curiosity about commercial work and eventually led him toward sales.

Lee first connected with Vaisala when he applied for a role that he didn’t get. Later, when the company was looking for sales professionals with experience in the electric utility industry, Vaisala got back in touch and the timing was right. Nine years later, Lee is still working in the Power business. What has kept him here is, above all, the people. Through trainings, visits to different offices, and meetings with colleagues, Lee has found the company to be an exceptionally enjoyable place to work. “I’ve never had a negative experience with the people at Vaisala,” he says. “It’s the best group of people I’ve worked with.

Learning what matters to customers

As a working manager, Lee divides his time between supporting sales representatives and customers, and leading his team through coaching, recruitment, interviews, and implementation of sales frameworks. His team is fully remote, which makes regular connection especially important. They meet at trade shows and gather in person once or twice a year to strengthen relationships and collaborate.

Curiosity is central to how Lee approaches the role. In a changing energy market, sales requires more than product expertise. Vaisala’s transformer monitoring solutions support electric utilities, but to understand customers properly, Lee also keeps up with renewables, data-center growth, infrastructure, and other forces shaping the industry. He believes that looking beyond a single application helps build both insight and credibility. “You have to be flexible, understand the market, and become a bit of a nerd about it,” he says. For Lee, being curious means asking what else affects a customer’s world, and finding the right ways for Vaisala to help.

Patience, persistence, and an interest in infrastructure

The power industry does not move quickly. Sales cycles can take years, which makes patience an essential part of Lee’s work. The reward comes when long-term effort turns into meaningful progress, such as closing a major deal or becoming specified with a customer. These outcomes can be turning points for the business, but Lee also values the smaller moments along the way: building trust, learning more about a customer, and helping his team move a conversation forward.

Outside of work, Lee’s curiosity takes many forms. He has two sons, aged 10 and 12, who keep him busy, and he enjoys reading about infrastructure, housing, transportation policy, and current affairs. He has recently been drawn to Robert Caro’s writing on Robert Moses and the forces that shaped New York’s transportation network. Lee also enjoys pushing himself physically. He trains for triathlons and has recently completed an Ironman event in New York. Whether he is following changes in the energy market, learning how cities take shape, or preparing for an endurance race, Lee brings the same mindset: stay curious, keep learning, and be ready for the long journey. 

Photo 1: IEEE PES T&D Conference, Chicago, IL, 2026

Photo 2: TechAdvantage, Nashville, TN, 2026