Staff Reports
John Ketchum is taking over as president and CEO of NextEra Energy, Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) parent company, in a succession plan announced by the organization.
Jim Robo, NextEra’s current chairman and CEO, will become executive chairman at the company. And Eric Silagy, FPL president and CEO, will now serve as FPL’s chairman as well.
“It is an honor to be selected to lead the absolute best team in the energy sector,” Ketchum said Tuesday in a statement.
“As CEO, I intend to remain intensely focused on delivering value for our shareholders and building upon our long track record of success. I believe there is no company better positioned to lead our country’s energy transformation than NextEra Energy, and I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this team through such an exciting period for our company.”
Ketchum is a former executive vice president of finance and CFO at FPL. He was named NextEra Energy’s executive vice president of finance and CFO in 2016. Three years later, he moved up to serve as president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources (NEER) and president of NextEra Energy Partners.
As Robo moves on from the CEO position, he called it “an honor and a privilege” to serve in that role at NextEra.
“I’m as excited as I have ever been about the future prospects of NextEra Energy and NextEra Energy Partners,” Robo said.
“A big part of a CEO’s legacy is the new leader and the next-generation leadership team that follows. I couldn’t be more thrilled about turning over the CEO role of this great company to John. I know he will be as focused on creating value for our owners as I have been over the last two decades.”
Sherry Barrat, lead independent director of the NextEra Energy Board of Directors, also praised Robo’s work as chairman and CEO.
“It cannot be overstated how significant an impact Jim Robo has had on the transformation of NextEra Energy,” Barrat said.
“The board of directors is grateful for Jim’s incredible leadership, which has guided the company through a period of unprecedented growth. Under Jim’s stewardship, NextEra Energy has been transformed into a world leader in clean energy and the world’s largest electric company by market capitalization. He has led FPL to become what we believe is the best utility in America and has led NEER to become the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage.”
Barrat also expressed confidence in Ketchum’s ability to take over for Robo.
“CEO succession is a critical process in any company, and our board approached this change of leadership in a very diligent manner. Working closely with Jim, the board identified John as his successor and will ensure a structured leadership succession process that fully supports our shareholders, employees and customers,” Barrat said.
“John is a talented and experienced leader who has worked across NextEra Energy since joining our company nearly two decades ago, and we know that he is ready to be CEO. His vision has helped craft a strategic and operational runway for NextEra Energy to lead America’s energy transformation, and he has the complete endorsement and support of the board of directors. We look forward to working closely with John for the continued success of NextEra Energy and the benefit of our shareholders.”
One comment
Chris Demings
January 25, 2022 at 5:49 pm
I wonder how much of an impact the ghost candidate scandal had on Jim Robo’s retirement?
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