The Texas Public Utility Commission on Wednesday announced Bob Flexon and John Swainson as the two latest additions to ERCOT’s Board of Directors, leaving the body just two members short.
Flexon was Dynegy’s CEO before its 2018 merger with Vistra and was previously CFO for UGI Utilities and NRG Energy. (See Vistra-Dynegy Merger Closes After FERC Nod.) He currently chairs Pacific Gas and Electric’s board of directors and sits on several other governance groups. He gives the board just its second independent director with a background in the electric industry, alongside previous appointee Zin Smati.
John Swainson | TravelportSwainson is executive chairman of Travelport, a business-to-business marketplace for travel information, and an executive partner at Siris Capital, a technology-focused private equity firm. He was president of the Dell Software Group until its sale in 2016.
Flexon and Swainson were chosen by the ERCOT Board Selection Committee, a three-person group appointed by Texas’ political leadership. The committee has been working with a search firm to fill the board’s eight independent director slots, as directed by legislation passed earlier this year.
Senate Bill 2 replaced the previous board’s five unaffiliated directors and eight market segment representatives with eight independent directors chosen by the selection committee. The ERCOT CEO, the PUC chair and the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel’s CEO sit on the body as non-voting members.
One of the first five appointees, Elaine Mendoza, abruptly resigned Nov. 19 over an apparent conflict of interest. (See Twitter Blows up over ERCOT Communications.)
