FirstEnergy Names Steve Fortune Vice President & Chief Information Officer

Brings more than 30 years of experience in energy operations and information technology to the company

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Jan 25, 2022, 09:37 ET

AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) today announced that Steve Fortune has been named vice president and chief information officer, effective February 7.

Fortune will be responsible for leading FirstEnergy's Information Technology (IT) organization, including the Cyber and Physical Security, Innovation and Digital Enablement and Information Technology groups. Under his guidance, the IT organization will play a significant and critical role in FirstEnergy's mission to digitally transform the company and achieve productivity improvements through system integration and advanced technology. Fortune will report to Sam Belcher, senior vice president, Operations.

"IT vision, strategy and leadership provide the foundation for many key objectives and outcomes expected from FE Forward, our comprehensive initiative focused on improving core business efficiency and utilizing technology to help enhance the customer experience," said Steven E. Strah, FirstEnergy president and chief executive officer. "Steve's leadership and demonstrated expertise in all areas of IT services, operations and cyber security, combined with his experience in designing and executing major digital and IT transformations that improved business efficiency and operational integrity across a global energy company, make him a strong addition to our senior management team."

Fortune joins FirstEnergy after more than 30 years with BP, ranked 18^th on the Fortune Global 500, where he began his career as a chemical engineer. He progressed through several operations and engineering leadership roles before moving to the IT side of the business in 2003 as information management director.

As an IT executive, Fortune progressed through various positions of increasing responsibility, including chief information officer for BP's upstream business, before being named chief information officer for all of the company in 2016. In that role, he was responsible for setting and implementing BP's worldwide strategy for information technology and services across the company's upstream, downstream, trading and alternative energy businesses as well as overseeing BP's cyber security organization. Fortune also successfully led a digital transformation of BP's global infrastructure and implemented a digital operating model.

A graduate of Loughborough University of Technology in Leicestershire, England, Fortune holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.

Editor's Note: A professional photo of Steve Fortune is available for download on Flickr.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.