PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Jim Piro, president and CEO notified the board of directors on July 26,
2017 of his decision to retire from Portland General Electric on Dec.
31. As part of the company's leadership succession plan, the board of
directors has appointed Maria Pope, senior vice president of Power
Supply, Operations and Resource Strategy, to succeed Piro. Pope will
assume the role of company president on Oct. 1, 2017, and the role of
CEO and member of the board of directors effective Jan. 1, 2018.
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Maria Pope, senior vice president of Power Supply, Operations and Resource Strategy (Photo: Business Wire)
Piro, who joined PGE in 1980 as an engineer, has more than 40 years'
experience in the energy industry, 37 years with PGE. As CEO, he oversaw
the addition of new and more efficient generating resources - including
Biglow Canyon phases II and III and Tucannon River wind farms, two
natural gas-fired plants in Clatskanie and Boardman, Ore., which are
designed to ensure we meet our customers' energy needs affordably and
reliably. Under his leadership, PGE has strengthened the company's
transmission and distribution infrastructure to ensure a smart, secure
and resilient system. Piro has also been a prominent voice within the
utility industry nationally and in the Oregon community, serving on the
state's Global Warming Commission and Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math (STEM) Investment Council and the boards of the Oregon Business
Council, All Hands Raised, Greater Portland Inc., Oregon State
University Foundation, the PGE Foundation and the Edison Electric
Institute. He is also a member of the Electrification Coalition, a
national group of business leaders advocating for policies that support
electric vehicles.
"Jim Piro has been an exemplary leader for PGE over the past eight years
as he assumed the role in the midst of an economic downturn and then led
the company through sustained growth, setting the stage for
opportunities that lie ahead," said Jack Davis, chairman of the PGE
Board of Directors. "Among his many achievements, Jim's unwavering
commitment to operational excellence propelled the company to deliver
value to customers, the Oregon community and shareholders."
"It's been an honor to lead PGE's exceptional team of employees for
nearly a decade, working to enhance our customer service, strengthen the
reliability and resiliency of our system and invest in diverse and
flexible generating resources to meet our customers growing energy
needs," said Piro. "This transition comes at a time of important
evolution for PGE as we work to deliver a clean, reliable and secure
energy future for our customers. I'm pleased to have a leader of Maria's
capabilities who can continue to champion the interests of our customers
and community and ensure we have a seamless transition."
"Maria is the right person to lead PGE into the future," said Davis.
"She has broad experience across multiple industries, a track record of
success and, most importantly, a deep understanding of our customers'
needs and the energy business."
Pope currently serves as senior vice president of Power Supply,
Operations and Resource Strategy at PGE, overseeing PGE's energy supply
portfolio, 15 thermal, hydro and wind generation plants, and long-term
resource strategy. She joined the company in 2009 as senior vice
president of Finance, CFO and treasurer after having served several
years on the PGE Board of Directors. Prior to joining PGE, Pope served
as the CFO for Mentor Graphics and held a variety of leadership
positions at Pope & Talbot and Levi Strauss & Co. Pope is a prominent
community leader, appointed by Oregon's governor to chair the Oregon
Health & Science University Governing board. She also serves on the
board of Umpqua Holdings Corporation and has previously served on
several other U.S. and Canadian boards. Pope is an alumna of the
Stanford Graduate School of Business and earned her bachelor's degree
from Georgetown University.
"I'm honored to be selected to carry on PGE's proud 128-year tradition
of service and commitment to Oregon," said Maria Pope. "As our industry
undergoes a period of rapid transformation and technological advances,
our customers can depend on PGE to continue to serve them well and lead
the way toward a clean energy future."
About Portland General Electric Company: Portland General
Electric Company (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based
in Portland, Ore., serving 872,000 customers in 51 cities. For more than
125 years, PGE has been delivering safe, reliable energy to Oregonians.
With approximately 2,750 employees across the state, PGE is committed to
building a cleaner, more efficient energy future. Together with its
customers, PGE has the number one voluntary renewable energy program in
the U.S. For more information visit PortlandGeneral.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170728005138/en/
Portland General Electric Company
Melanie Moir, 503-464-8790
Melanie.Moir@pgn.com
Source: Portland General Electric Company
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