NB Power Announces New President and CEO

2020-03-30

Fredericton, NB – The New Brunswick Power Corporation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Keith Cronkhite as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2020.

 “As NB Power continues to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing energy market, Keith’s leadership qualities and industry experience make him well-suited to lead NB Power into the future,” said Board Chair Ed Barrett. “We support Keith’s vision of a nimble, customer-focused NB Power that is well-positioned to serve New Brunswickers while responding to a rapidly changing industry.”                                                 

A lifelong New Brunswicker, Mr. Cronkhite is a seasoned energy expert with over 30 years’ industry experience. He has held positions of increasing responsibility within NB Power operations and corporate, including his most recent role of Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Planning.

“I am humbled by the trust given to me by the Board of Directors and I look forward to working with them as we transform the utility to meet the future needs of our customers,” said Keith Cronkhite. “It will be my honour to lead NB Power’s dedicated team as we provide safe, reliable and sustainable energy to the people of New Brunswick.”

Mr. Cronkhite is well-known within the energy industry, and throughout his career has established strong working relationships with industry, government and business leaders.

 “As minister, I have had the opportunity to work with Keith and believe he is a leader with a forward-thinking vision,” said Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister Mike Holland. “The knowledge and experience he brings to the position, especially in these unprecedented times, is important as NB Power continues to work on initiatives that benefit the utility, the province, and ultimately the ratepayer.”

In summer 2019, the NB Power Board of Directors launched a recruitment process for a new CEO in partnership with an executive recruiting firm. More than 50 external and internal applications were reviewed and evaluated with eight candidates ultimately being interviewed by the board search committee. Following this exhaustive process, the NB Power Board of Directors recommended to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council as prescribed in the Electricity Act the appointment of Mr. Cronkhite. 

Today’s announcement follows Gaëtan Thomas’s decision to retire in May 2020 following his 10-year tenure as NB Power President and CEO. Under Mr. Thomas’ leadership, NB Power was restructured to an integrated utility that resulted in a leaner, more efficient organization; the utility established a partnership with Siemens to develop a made-in-New Brunswick smart grid; and the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station was refurbished and is now amongst the top performers in its class.

Mr. Thomas will continue working with Mr. Cronkhite as the company operates in support of the New Brunswick Chief Medical Officer of Health request for the provincial government to transition from normal operations to a focus on maintaining critical programs and services.

“We are fortunate that during these challenging times, Mr. Cronkhite and Mr. Thomas will work together throughout this transition to ensure safe, reliable service for New Brunswickers as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and the utility returns to normal operations, “ said Mr. Barrett. “The Board of Directors would like to thank Gaëtan for his accomplishments, ongoing dedication and commitment to the people of New Brunswick.”

NB Power recently moved to mission critical work only mode. Essential services to customers include emergencies, outage restoration, move in/move out requests and essential water heater services.

MEDIA CONTACT: Marc Belliveau, Communications, NB Power, 506-458-4203 or mbelliveau@nbpower.com

About NB Power

NB Power is the primary electric utility in New Brunswick and this year marks its 100th anniversary. It serves more than 400,000 customers with safe, reliable and efficient electricity, and has the lowest residential rates in Atlantic Canada.

The utility, which has 14 generating stations ranging from thermal generation, to hydro to nuclear, is focused on promoting the efficient use of energy in customers’ homes and businesses by enabling and providing new, value-added energy efficient solutions in order to help reduce carbon, better integrate renewable energy and stimulate the economy.