FirstEnergy promoted its chief financial officer on Tuesday to take over as president beginning next week.

Steven E. Strah, who was named CFO and senior vice president in 2018, was elected by the FirstEnergy board of directors to serve as president effective Sunday. Strah is taking over the role as president from Charles E. Jones, who has been FirstEnergy’s president, chief executive officer and member of the board since 2015. Jones will continue to serve as CEO and a member of the board.

Strah will oversee FirstEnergy Utilities; corporate services and information technology; finance; product development, marketing and branding; external affairs; rates and regulatory affairs; and strategy. Strah, who began his career with The Illuminating Company in 1984, previously served as regional president and vice president of distribution support of Ohio Edison, and senior vice president at FirstEnergy Utilities.

“Steve is a strategic and driven leader with a deep understanding of FirstEnergy’s business and the needs of our customers, employees and investors,” Jones said in a press release. “He is committed to driving our long-term, customer-focused growth plans, as well as our mission to be a forward-thinking electric utility.”

FirstEnergy also made several other senior leadership moves on Tuesday:

• K. Jon Taylor was elected senior vice president and CFO and will report to Strah, overseeing accounting, treasury and investor relations.
• Robert P. Reffner was elected senior vice president and chief legal officer, reporting to Jones. He will add risk management and internal auditing to his current duties overseeing the corporate, legal, information and compliance and real estate departments.
• Ebony L. Yeboah-Amankwah was elected vice president, general counsel and chief ethics officer, reporting to Reffner.
• Mary M. Swann was elected corporate secretary, reporting to Yeboah-Amankwah.
• John Skory was named vice president of FirstEnergy’s utility operations.
• Gary W. Grant Jr. becomes president of Ohio operations, reporting to Skory.
• Michelle R. Henry, director of FERC and state regulatory compliance since 2018, was named vice president of customer service.
• James H. Myers III was named president of West Virginia operations. Myers is taking over for Holly C. Kauffman, who is retiring after 36 years with the company.