COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American
Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) today announced several executive
leadership changes to support the company's strategic priorities,
according to Nicholas K. Akins, AEP
chairman, president and chief executive officer. The changes are
effective July 1.
Therace M. Risch has been
promoted to executive vice president and chief information &
technology officer. Risch leads technology initiatives across AEP
including information technology, innovation and digital
initiatives. She will also oversee the company's cyber and physical
security organization, led by Stephen L.
Swick, vice president and chief security officer. Risch will
continue to report to Akins.
Charles E. Zebula, currently
executive vice president – Energy Supply, has been named executive
vice president – Portfolio Optimization and will continue to report
to Akins. Zebula will lead operational and performance management
and corporate asset strategy.
Greg B. Hall, president of AEP
Energy Partners, has been promoted to executive vice president –
Energy Supply, reporting to Akins. He will oversee AEP's
competitive businesses including AEP Generation Resources, AEP
Energy, AEP OnSite Partners and AEP Renewables.
The position of Brian X. Tierney,
executive vice president – Strategy, is being eliminated and he is
leaving the company.
"I want to thank Brian for his leadership. He has helped AEP
build a strong financial foundation and improve shareholder value
through his strategic focus, and we wish him all the best in his
future endeavors," Akins said.
"These changes allow us to expand the experience of our
leadership team in key areas of the business and ensure we have the
right technologies, competitive solutions and strategic direction
to enhance service for our customers, ensure grid security and
support ongoing earnings growth."
Risch, 48, joined AEP in May 2020
as senior vice president and chief information & technology
officer. Previously, she was executive vice president and chief
information officer for J.C. Penney Co.; executive vice president
and chief information officer at COUNTRY Financial; and vice
president of technology delivery services at Target Corp. Risch
earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics from
Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin.
Zebula, 60, has served in his current role since 2013 and
previously held leadership roles including senior vice president
and treasurer, senior vice president – Fuel, Logistics and
Emissions, and senior vice president – Asset & Production
Management since joining AEP in 1998. He holds a bachelor's degree
in mining engineering and a master's degree in mineral processing
from The Pennsylvania State University,
and earned a master's degree in industrial administration from
Carnegie Mellon University.
Hall, 49, was named to his current position in 2006. He began
his career at AEP in 1997 and has held positions of increasing
responsibility, including vice president – Energy Marketing. He
holds a bachelor's degree in geography from Brigham Young University and a master's degree in
geography from The Ohio State
University.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a
smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and
custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP's approximately
16,800 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest
electricity transmission system and more than 223,000 miles of
distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to
nearly 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is
one of the nation's largest electricity producers with
approximately 30,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity,
including more than 5,500 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP's
family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas,
Appalachian Power (in Virginia and
West Virginia), AEP Appalachian
Power (in Tennessee), Indiana
Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of
Oklahoma, and Southwestern
Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas
Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners,
AEP OnSite Partners, and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative
competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information,
visit aep.com.
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SOURCE American Electric Power