Duke Energy announces key leadership appointments

Rhea-AI Summary

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) announced multiple Finance leadership changes effective Jan. 1, 2026 and March 1, 2026.

Cindy Lee will retire after 24 years, stepping down as senior vice president, chief accounting officer and controller on March 1, 2026, and serving as strategic advisor through Dec. 31, 2026. Abby Motsinger, currently vice president, investor relations, will become chief accounting officer and controller on March 1, 2026. Mike Callahan will move to senior vice president, financial planning & analysis on Jan. 1, 2026. Nick Giaimo will become senior vice president, treasurer and chief risk officer on Jan. 1, 2026. Mike Switzer will become vice president, investor relations on March 1, 2026 while retaining corporate development responsibilities. All four will continue reporting to CFO Brian Savoy.

The release notes Duke Energy serves 8.6 million electric customers and owns 55,100 MW of capacity.

Positive

• Clear succession plan with Abby Motsinger named CAO/controller effective Mar 1, 2026
• Internal promotions preserve institutional knowledge across finance leadership
• All appointees continue reporting to CFO Brian Savoy, supporting continuity

Negative

• Upcoming transition period with multiple role changes between Jan 1 and Mar 1, 2026 could strain finance bandwidth
• Loss of Cindy Lee's 24-year experience after Dec 31, 2026 retirement

• Abby Motsinger named chief accounting officer and controller after Cindy Lee announces intent to retire following a distinguished career with the company
• Mike Callahan, Nick Giaimo and Mike Switzer to assume new leadership positions, reflecting the depth of Duke Energy's finance team

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) today announced Cindy Lee, senior vice president, chief accounting officer and controller, will retire following 24 distinguished years with the company. Lee will step down from the role on March 1, 2026, and transition into a strategic advisor role until her retirement on Dec. 31.

Abby Motsinger, currently vice president, investor relations, will succeed Lee as senior vice president, chief accounting officer and controller, effective March 1. 

"Abby brings extensive experience and proven leadership across many areas of finance and accounting to her new position," said Brian Savoy, chief financial officer. "Over her 16 years with the company, she is an established, results-driven leader who is known for her strategic mindset and focus on high performance and continuous improvement. We look forward to the positive impact she'll continue to have across the organization." 

"On behalf of everyone at Duke Energy, I would like to thank Cindy for her invaluable contributions over more than two decades," said Savoy. "Cindy embodies enterprise leadership and genuine care for our teammates. These qualities, along with her strong financial acumen, discipline and integrity, will have a lasting impact on our organization. The deep bench of professionals she developed and mentored will continue to uphold her legacy of excellence. We wish her every success in retirement."

As Duke Energy invests in the industry's largest regulated capital plan to meet unprecedented demand across its territories while maintaining exceptional reliability at a reasonable price, the company announced several further leadership appointments within its Finance organization to continue to drive value for customers, stakeholders and shareholders.

New Leadership Appointments – Effective Jan. 1, 2026

• Mike Callahan will assume the role of senior vice president, financial planning & analysis. Callahan is currently senior vice president, treasurer. Before assuming his current position in November 2024, Callahan, who has been at the company for more than 20 years, served in various roles, including South Carolina state president, vice president of investor relations and director of regulated utilities forecasting.
• Nick Giaimo will become senior vice president, treasurer and chief risk officer. Giaimo is currently senior vice president, financial planning & analysis. Before assuming his current role in May 2021, Giaimo served in numerous roles in financial planning & analysis and as director of investor relations and assistant treasurer for Piedmont Natural Gas.

New Leadership Appointments – Effective March 1, 2026

• Mike Switzer will succeed Motsinger as vice president, investor relations and retain his current leadership of the corporate development organization. Previously, he also served in several corporate development roles, as well as director of investor relations, over his 18-year tenure with the company.

Motsinger, Callahan, Giaimo and Switzer will continue to report to Savoy. 

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Media Contact: Gillian Moore
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

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SOURCE Duke Energy

FAQ

Who will succeed Cindy Lee as chief accounting officer and controller at Duke Energy (DUK)?

Abby Motsinger, currently vice president, investor relations, will succeed Cindy Lee effective March 1, 2026.

When is Cindy Lee retiring from Duke Energy (DUK)?

Cindy Lee will step down from her role on March 1, 2026, transition to a strategic advisor role, and retire on Dec. 31, 2026.

What Finance leadership changes at Duke Energy (DUK) take effect on January 1, 2026?

Mike Callahan becomes senior vice president, financial planning & analysis and Nick Giaimo becomes senior vice president, treasurer and chief risk officer on Jan. 1, 2026.

Who will handle investor relations at Duke Energy (DUK) after March 1, 2026?

Mike Switzer will succeed Abby Motsinger as vice president, investor relations effective March 1, 2026 while retaining corporate development leadership.

Will the new Duke Energy (DUK) appointees report to the same CFO?

Yes. Abby Motsinger, Mike Callahan, Nick Giaimo and Mike Switzer will continue reporting to CFO Brian Savoy.