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Former AGL CEO Vesey to head up Pacific Gas & Electric

Vesey has more than 35 years of utility experience, most recently as managing director and CEO of Sydney-based AGL Energy Ltd.
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Former AGL CEO Vesey to head up Pacific Gas & Electric

The customer-facing utility wing of California’s PG&E Corp. has named a new, well-traveled CEO who will start work in five days.

Global industry veteran Andrew M. Vesey will lead Pacific Gas & Electric Co. beginning August 19, the company announced. He will report to the PG&E board and CEO Bill Johnson.

Vesey is taking over a utility whose parent company is in the midst of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization period. PG&E filed for bankruptcy partially due to billions of dollars in wildfire-related liabilities in California.

“Andy is a focused and talented leader with the demonstrated experience to help PG&E improve our safety and operational performance, while also being a strong advocate for clean energy solutions,” Johnson said in a statement. “We have full confidence in Andy to lead change and deliver results across our safety and operational areas including electric, gas, generation and customer teams.”

Vesey has more than 35 years of utility experience, most recently as managing director and CEO of Sydney-based AGL Energy Ltd. AGL serves about 3.7 million electric and natural gas customers in Australia.

Echoeing PG&E’s own clean energy goals, Vesey committed AGL to closing all of its coal-fired generation by 2050. California has a state-mandated goal of 100 percent renewables five years earlier than that.

 “Beginning day one, my primary focus areas are making sure that we’re safely operating our systems every day for our customers and communities, that we’re following all of the laws and rules that govern our work, and that we’re valuing the diversity of ideas and experiences of our employees to help us improve and innovate,” Vesey said of his goals at PG&E.

He also has served leadership roles at AES Corp., Entergy Corp. and Niagara Mohawk Power Corp, while starting his career at Consolidated Edison in New York. Beyond the electric utility firms, Vesey worked at FTI Consulting and Ernst & Young.

Vesey holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in economics both from Union College. He also earned a master’s degree in applied science from New York University.