FirstEnergy Overhauls Leadership in Bid to Modernize Operations

Chris Beam takes the helm as President of West Virginia and Maryland Operations, where he will manage Mon Power and Potomac Edison. Reporting to Wade Smith, Beam is tasked with steering regulatory strategy and financial performance for the company's regulated generation assets. His background includes three decades at American Electric Power, providing the necessary institutional experience to navigate the utility's current investment cycle.

Hanneke Counts joins as Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Toby Thomas. Her mandate involves standardizing risk-based safety practices across FirstEnergy’s sprawling field network. Counts brings a track record from Westinghouse Electric and Eastman Chemical, where she managed large-scale safety programs across multiple global sites.

Completing the leadership expansion, Daniel Puscas assumes the role of Chief Information Officer. Reporting directly to CEO Brian X. Tierney, Puscas will direct the company’s cybersecurity, digital platforms, and data-driven decision-making initiatives. His appointment follows two decades of experience in technology transformation and post-merger integration, including previous roles at AlixPartners and Comerica. These appointments are designed to reinforce FirstEnergy’s core infrastructure while modernizing the tools required to serve its six million customers across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.