PPL Corporation announces upcoming retirement of Executive Vice President and COO Fran Sullivan and corresponding organizational changes

Rhea-AI Summary

PPL (NYSE: PPL) announced organizational changes following the retirement of EVP and COO Francis X. Sullivan, effective April 4. The company will eliminate the Chief Operating Officer role, with Sullivan's responsibilities being split between two executives: David J. Bonenberger, who will become EVP and Chief Operating Officer-Utilities, and Lonnie Bellar, who will become EVP of Engineering, Construction and Generation. Both will report directly to CEO Vincent Sorgi.

Bonenberger, who joined PPL Electric Utilities in 1984, currently oversees utility operations and customer service across PPL's utilities in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Virginia. Bellar, who joined Kentucky Utilities in 1987, manages enterprise-wide engineering, construction services, energy supply, and environmental compliance. With this reorganization, Bellar will also assume responsibility for PPL's Kentucky generation fleet.

Positive

• Streamlined organizational structure with direct reporting to CEO
• Leadership transition maintains continuity with experienced executives (80 years combined utility experience)
• Consolidation of operations may improve operational efficiency

Negative

• Loss of experienced COO with 40+ years industry expertise
• Potential execution risks during leadership transition
• Increased span of control for remaining executives may impact operational oversight

ALLENTOWN, Pa., Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) today announced the elimination of its Chief Operating Officer role effective April 4, at which time current EVP and COO Francis X. Sullivan will retire.

Also effective April 4, Sullivan's responsibilities will be assumed by David J. Bonenberger, who will become Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer-Utilities and Lonnie Bellar, who will become Executive Vice President of Engineering, Construction and Generation, with both executives reporting to PPL President and Chief Executive Officer Vincent Sorgi.

"On behalf of our Board of Directors and the entire leadership team at PPL, I thank Fran for his tremendous leadership and transformation of our operations and safety functions over the past two years.  Fran's leadership has been invaluable in the design and execution of our utility of the future and OnePPL strategies," said Sorgi.

"Looking forward, I am confident that both Dave and Lonnie, who have nearly 80 years of combined utility experience, will continue to build on the progress we've made as we advance our strategy to create utilities that are smarter, stronger, cleaner and better positioned to deliver even greater value for our customers and shareowners."

Bonenberger and Bellar both currently report to Sullivan. Bonenberger is responsible for utility operations and customer service across all of PPL's utilities in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Virginia. Bellar is responsible for enterprise-wide engineering and construction services, energy supply and analysis, and environmental compliance. With the elimination of the enterprise-wide COO role, Bellar will also assume responsibility over PPL's Kentucky generation fleet.

Both Bonenberger and Bellar began their energy careers in the 1980s — Bonenberger joining PPL Electric Utilities in 1984 and Bellar joining Kentucky Utilities in 1987. Prior to their most recent roles, Bonenberger served as President of Rhode Island Energy, a subsidiary of PPL, and Bellar served as COO for LG&E and KU Energy, also a subsidiary of PPL.

Sullivan has served as PPL's EVP and COO since January 2023. Prior to joining PPL in October 2021, he served as a senior operations advisor and independent consultant for the power sector and spent more than 40 years in a variety of leadership roles with some of the biggest names in the energy industry, including NRG Energy and Public Service Enterprises Group.

About PPL
PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a leading U.S. energy company focused on providing electricity and natural gas safely, reliably and affordably to more than 3.5 million customers in the U.S. PPL's high-performing, award-winning utilities are addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. For more information, visit www.pplweb.com.

Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news about PPL Corporation.

Contacts:	For news media: Ryan Hill, 610-774-4033
	For financial analysts: Andy Ludwig, 610-774-3389

 

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SOURCE PPL Services Corporation

FAQ

When will PPL COO Francis Sullivan retire?

PPL COO Francis Sullivan will retire effective April 4, 2025.

Who will replace Francis Sullivan at PPL?

Sullivan's responsibilities will be split between David J. Bonenberger as EVP and COO-Utilities and Lonnie Bellar as EVP of Engineering, Construction and Generation.

What organizational changes is PPL implementing in 2025?

PPL is eliminating the Chief Operating Officer role and redistributing responsibilities between two executive positions, with both reporting directly to the CEO.

What territories do PPL's utilities cover?

PPL operates utilities across Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Rhode Island, and Virginia.

How long have PPL's new executives been with the company?

David Bonenberger joined PPL Electric Utilities in 1984, and Lonnie Bellar joined Kentucky Utilities in 1987, giving them nearly 80 years of combined utility experience.