INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis graduate Leo Denault will assume the role as Chief Executive Officer at Entergy, Corp. Denault is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Entergy, an integrated energy company providing electricity for several southern states.
A 1991 graduate of the Evening MBA program, Denault will replace Wayne Leonard. Leonard is also a Kelley Evening MBA graduate, as well as the longest-serving CEO in Entergy’s history. A 1987 Kelley graduate, Leonard will retire January 31, 2013. Denault, 52, has been with the company since 1999 and has served as CFO since 2004.
“Having worked closely alongside Leo for almost 25 years, since his early days at PSI Energy and then through the merger that formed Cinergy, I know he is absolutely the right person to lead the team,” said Leonard. “I have seen firsthand his strategic vision and leadership, financial acumen and in-depth knowledge of the business, and he has more than proven himself in challenging environments.”
According to Entergy, during Denault’s tenure of financial leadership as CFO, the company delivered the highest operational earnings per share and highest operating cash flow in company history in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Denault was named to Institutional Investor magazine’s “2010 All-America Executive Team” and was ranked as the best CFO in the power industry in 2010 and 2009. Denault has a bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting from Ball State University and an MBA from Kelley Indianapolis.
“I am honored to be elected to this position, grateful to the board for the confidence it has placed in me, and humbled to follow in Wayne’s footsteps,” said Denault. “He has been an outstanding mentor to me and the whole team. Our team is strong, our future is bright, and I look forward to working with the board and our talented executive team to build on our strong foundation, continue to align with and support the interests of our customers, employees and communities and deliver long-term, sustainable growth for our shareholders.”
One of the nation’s leading nuclear generators, Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas with annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.