Duke Energy announces key leadership appointments

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Aug 09, 2019, 09:00 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) today said it is restructuring its senior management team through a series of new appointments to strengthen the company's strategic focus on customers, public policy and innovation. The company also announced the retirement of two executives who have made lasting contributions to the company's success for decades.

"I am extremely grateful for the contributions of Lloyd Yates and Frank Yoho and am excited about the depth of talent in our company, which positions us for success in a rapidly changing environment. The incredible pace of change within our industry puts a premium on having an agile organization," said Lynn Good, chairman, president and CEO. "We have been at work over the last several years to develop talent to respond to these changes and are prepared to continue our strategic momentum."

Executive transitions

Lloyd Yates, executive vice president, customer delivery operations and president of Duke Energy's Carolinas region, and Frank Yoho, executive vice president and president of Duke Energy's natural gas business, have both decided to retire at the end of September after long and distinguished careers in the industry.

Over his more than 35-year career in the industry, including 21 years with Duke Energy and its predecessor companies, Yates has left a lasting impression on the company and industry. Throughout his tenure, he helped build Duke Energy into a leading energy infrastructure company. In his current role, he used his operational experience to improve safety, reliability and the overall customer experience for millions of customers.

"Lloyd has been an incredible leader for Duke Energy and has been at the forefront of our company's transformation," said Good. "From his leadership in the Carolinas to our ongoing efforts to deliver more value to customers, Lloyd has left a powerful legacy on our company and the communities we serve."

During his 35-year career, Yoho has led every aspect of the natural gas business and played an integral role in restructuring Piedmont Natural Gas to prioritize the customer experience. This helped transform the company into one of the nation's most trusted utility brands. After joining Duke Energy following the 2016 acquisition of Piedmont Natural Gas, Yoho was responsible for all of Duke Energy's natural gas operations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

"Over his career, Frank brought his vision and expertise to every role – and delivered impressive results at every stage," said Good. "Following the acquisition of Piedmont Natural Gas, Frank was instrumental in our integration efforts, leading one of the most successful acquisitions in our company's history."

New appointments and organizational changes

The following management changes are being made:

Julie Janson, currently executive vice president, external affairs and chief legal officer, will become executive vice president, external affairs and president, Carolinas region. In addition to the external affairs organization, Julie will be responsible for the strategic direction and performance of the company's regulated utilities in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, currently Duke Energy's state president in South Carolina, will become executive vice president and chief legal officer. Kodwo will be the primary legal advisor to Duke Energy's board of directors and senior management and lead the Office of the General Counsel, which includes the company's legal, corporate governance, ethics and compliance, and audit functions.
Brian Savoy, currently senior vice president, business transformation and technology, will become senior vice president, business transformation technology, and chief administrative officer. In addition to leading our business transformation, information and technology organizations, Brian will have responsibility for the administrative services and supply chain organizations.
Harry Sideris, currently senior vice president and chief distribution officer, will become senior vice president, customer delivery and services. Harry will lead an organization that consolidates the customer delivery, customer experience, customer services and grid solutions organizations under one leader.
Doug Esamann, currently executive vice president, energy solutions and president, Midwest and Florida regions, will add the company's natural gas business to his responsibilities. With these added responsibilities, Doug will oversee all of the company's natural gas operations in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Ghartey-Tagoe, Savoy and Sideris will report to Good. Janson, Esamann, Melissa Anderson, Dhiaa Jamil and Steve Young will also continue to report to Good.

Other executive changes:

Michael Callahan, currently vice president, investor relations, will become Duke Energy's state president in South Carolina.
Bryan Buckler, currently director of finance for the Carolinas, will become vice president of investor relations.
Sasha Weintraub, currently senior vice president, chief commercial officer for natural gas, will add operational and regulatory responsibilities and become senior vice president, natural gas business unit.
Peter Toomey, currently senior vice president of enterprise strategy and planning, will become senior vice president of strategic regulatory initiatives.
Cari Boyce, currently senior vice president of stakeholder strategy and sustainability, and president of the Duke Energy Foundation, will become senior vice president of enterprise strategy and planning.
Louis Renjel, currently senior vice president of federal government affairs, will also add stakeholder strategy and sustainability to his responsibilities, becoming senior vice president, federal government and corporate affairs.
Shawn Heath, currently vice president and chief of staff, will become vice president, chief of staff and president of the Duke Energy Foundation.

The changes will be effective Oct. 1, 2019.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2019 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: Neil Nissan
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SOURCE Duke Energy