AKRON, Ohio – FirstEnergy Corp. announced this week that President and CEO Brian X. Tierney has been unanimously elected by the board of directors to the additional role of chair of the board, effective Jan. 1. He succeeds John W. Somerhalder II, who will remain a director. Lisa Winston Hicks will remain the board’s lead independent director.
“Over the last several years, FirstEnergy has made tremendous progress on its financial, operational and cultural transformation, and this is the right time for Brian to take on the additional role of chair,” says Somerhalder. “Brian’s appointment underscores our conviction that FirstEnergy will continue to advance its strategy under his exemplary leadership, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in this new capacity.”
“The board is confident that combining the CEO and chair roles will best position the company as it delivers more secure and reliable energy through the execution of its Energize365 capital investment program,” Hicks says. “On behalf of the board, we want to thank John for his significant contributions to the company. We are pleased that we will be able to continue to benefit from his expertise in his role as a director.”
Tierney has served as president and CEO of FirstEnergy and as a director since June 1, 2023.
Previously, Tierney was a senior managing director and global head of operations and asset management for Blackstone Infrastructure Partners. Before joining Blackstone in 2021, Tierney spent more than 23 years at American Electric Power. He held a number of senior leadership positions at AEP, most recently serving as executive vice president of strategy.