JUNO BEACH, Fla., March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that, as part of a previously announced leadership succession plan, John Ketchum has been appointed executive vice president, finance, and chief financial officer following the retirement of Moray P. Dewhurst, vice chairman and chief financial officer. The leadership transition plan was announced in February 2015. Ketchum's appointment is effective March 4, 2016.
"As I shared last year when we announced our planned leadership transition, Moray has been a key member of our senior leadership for well over a decade and is recognized as one of the premier CFOs in the industry," said Jim Robo, chairman and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy. "His leadership and counsel helped guide us through a period of exceptional growth and success. He has been a great friend, colleague and valued counselor to me personally, and I know I speak for all employees when I say we will miss him. We wish Moray and his family the best."
In his new role, Ketchum has responsibility for accounting, forecasting, tax, treasury, investor relations, risk management and information management.
"I'm extremely pleased to have John lead our finance functions and serve as our chief financial officer," said Robo. "Moray and John have worked very closely during the past year as part of our long-planned transition, and I have every confidence in John as he assumes his new responsibilities. Having been an integral part of NextEra Energy for the past 14 years, John has distinguished himself as an exceptional leader with a proven track record. His strong commercial sense, deep finance and tax expertise, and in-depth knowledge of our company and industry will serve him well. I look forward to working with John and the other members of NextEra Energy's leadership team as we work to achieve our vision of being North America's clean energy leader and create value for our shareholders."
Ketchum, who also has been appointed chief financial officer and a member of the board of NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), has a diverse finance, legal, business and commercial transactions background with experience in domestic and international project development, project finance, mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, tax, corporate governance, corporate finance, securities, bankruptcy, operations, risk management, finance and accounting.
He joined NextEra Energy in 2002 and has held various business, finance and legal roles. Most recently, he served as senior vice president, finance for NextEra Energy. Ketchum also has served in a variety of leadership roles within NextEra Energy Resources, including senior vice president, business management and finance, with responsibility for the CFO organization and the financial performance of the generation portfolio. In addition, he held the positions of general counsel and corporate secretary for NextEra Energy Resources. Prior to joining the company, Ketchum served as corporate counsel to TECO Energy and as a corporate and securities law associate for Holland & Knight, LLP in Tampa, Fla. He began his career as a tax lawyer for Lathrop & Gage in Kansas City, Mo., and, prior to that, worked in corporate banking. Ketchum earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and finance from the University of Arizona and a Master of Laws degree in taxation and a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law.
NextEra Energy, Inc.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.5 billion, approximately 46,400 megawatts of generating capacity, which includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), and approximately 14,300 employees in 27 states and Canada as of year-end 2015. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy's principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves more than 4.8 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from eight commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin. NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2016 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
Logo - https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110124/FL34682LOGO
SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.