PG&E names William Johnson as CEO, appoints 10 new directors to board

By Caroline Salls

Pittsburgh, April 4 – PG&E Corp. has appointed William “Bill” Johnson as chief executive officer and president and appointed 10 new directors to its board of directors, according to a Wednesday news release.

The company said the board appointments will take effect as of the next in-person board meeting, which will be held as soon as possible.

PG&E said the significant changes in leadership reflect its focus on strengthening its safety culture and operational effectiveness and successfully navigating the Chapter 11 process.

“We have heard the calls for change and have taken action today to ensure that PG&E has the right leadership to bring about real and dynamic change that reinforces our commitment to safety, continuous improvement and operational excellence,” the board said in the release.

“We believe our new CEO and the newly constituted board will help PG&E address California’s evolving energy challenges and deliver what our customers expect from their energy company.”

According to the release, Johnson is concluding a more than six-year tenure as president and CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority. He is expected to begin his new role at PG&E in late April.

“We believe Mr. Johnson is the right leader for PG&E as we work to strengthen our safety culture and navigate a complex and challenging period in our company’s history,” the board said in the release.

Effective as of the next in-person board meeting, Richard Barrera, Jeffrey Bleich, Nora Mead Brownell, Cheryl Campbell, Michael Leffell, Kenneth Liang, Dominique Mielle, Meridee Moore, Kristine Schmidt and Alejandro Wolff will join continuing PG&E directors Fred Fowler, Richard Kelly and Eric Mullins on the board.

In connection with these appointments, PG&E said the remaining directors will be stepping down from the board at that time. The members of the newly constituted board will elect a new chairman and determine committee assignments.

All PG&E directors, including the newly appointed directors, will stand for election at an annual meeting scheduled for May 21, and Johnson will stand for election as a 14th director.

The company said the newly comprised board will include industry leaders with fresh perspectives on safety and risk management and more than 125 years of collective experience in financial and operational restructurings.

The electric and natural-gas utility is based in San Francisco. The company filed bankruptcy on Jan. 29 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California under Chapter 11 case number 19-30088.

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