Wayne Leonard became Entergy's chief executive
officer on January 1, 1999. He joined Entergy in
April 1998 as president and chief operating
officer of the domestic business, and assumed
additional responsibility for international
operations in August 1998. Under Leonard's
leadership, Entergy implemented a new strategy
emphasizing core competencies, with renewed
attention to the core utility business and
nuclear generation. Entergy completed the first
U.S. purchase of a nuclear plant and continued
expansion of the company's nuclear fleet to its
current standing as the second-largest nuclear
plant operator in the United States. Financial
and operational performance improved as a result
of the new strategy, and Entergy has
demonstrated a consistent record of meeting
investor expectations for delivering on
commitments.
Entergy received the electric industry's highest
honor, the Edison Award, in 2002 and 2005, from
the Edison Electric Institute. The Platts Global
Energy Awards honored Entergy as 2002 Global
Power Company of the Year and 2003 Global Energy
Company of the Year. For the last five years,
Leonard was named a finalist for Global CEO of
the Year and was honored as Global CEO of the
Year for 2003. Entergy was named to the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index in 2005 for the
fourth consecutive year demonstrating strong
financial performance and outstanding leadership
in environmental and social commitment. In
recognition of its industry-leading financial
achievement, Entergy was honored in October 2004
and 2003 as the top performer in the Edison
Electric Institute's index of Shareholder-Owned
Electric Utilities for the past five years.
Leonard began his utility career at PSI Energy
where he served as the company's senior vice
president and chief financial officer from 1989
to 1994. After the 1994 merger, which created
Cinergy, he was named group vice president and
chief financial officer and served in that
capacity until 1996. That same year, he was
named president of Cinergy's Energy Commodities
Strategic Business Unit and president of Cinergy
Capital and Trading.
Leonard graduated from Ball State University in
1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Accounting and earned his MBA in 1987 from
Indiana University. Mr. Leonard has been a
member of Tidewater’s Board of Directors since
2003.
Click Here
for the Saturday Interview
with: J. Wayne Leonard; Restoring the Light at
the End of the Tunnel
