Patti Poppe
Patricia Kessler Poppe (born 1969)[2] is an American businesswoman and business executive.[3] Poppe is the first female executive to serve as the CEO of one Fortune 500 and become CEO of another. She was president and CEO of CMS Energy from July 2016 to December 2020.[4][5][6] In November 2020, it was announced that she would be leaving CMS Energy and joining PG&E as CEO starting January 4, 2021.
Patti Poppe | |
---|---|
Born | Patricia Kessler Poppe 1969/1970 (age 50–51)[1] |
Alma mater | Purdue University Stanford University |
Title | CEO, PG&E Former CEO and president, CMS Energy |
Spouse(s) | Eric Poppe |
Early life and education
Born in 1969,[7][2] Patricia "Patti" Kessler Poppe[4] spent her childhood in Jackson, Michigan.[8][2] Her mother, Mary Ann Kessler, was a school principal and teacher. While her father, William Kessler, was a nuclear engineer for Consumers Energy.[6] Poppe graduated from Napoleon High School in Jackson County.[7] She has bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial engineering from Purdue University,[8] in 1989 and 1991,[9] and a master's degree in management from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business[8] in 2005.[9]
Career
GM and DTE Energy
Starting in 1990 Poppe worked for General Motors for 15 years, holding several positions.[9] In 2005[9] she joined DTE Energy[10][1] as a power plant director, then becoming director of energy optimization.[2]
CMS Energy
In December 2010 Consumers Energy announced that it had hired her, and the first of the next year,[11] Poppe joined CMS Energy in 2011,[8][1] when she became VP of customer operations.[4] From November 15, 2013 to January 2015 she was VP of customer experience.[4] From January 2015 she was senior vice president of distribution operations, engineering and transmission starting in March 2015, before becoming CEO in July 2016, succeeding John Russell.[8][1] She also became president-elect, with the positive effective on July 1, 2016.[2] She remained president in 2017.[12][13] In February 2017, she co-wrote a guest column forMichigan Live in support of a new non-discrimination ordinance.[14]
In 2016, Crain's Detroit Business named her one of 100 Most Influential Women.[2][9] She is an inductee into the Automotive Hall of Fame.[3]
In November 2020, it was announced that Poppe would be leaving CMS Energy on December 1, 2020 to become CEO of Pacific Gas & Electric on January 4, 2021.[15][16]
Boards
She as of 2016 was involved with Michigan Women's Foundation-Power of 100 Women and the Detroit Regional Chamber, Business Leaders for Michigan; advisory boards for the Jackson Symphony Orchestra and Purdue University Society of Women Engineers Industrial.[2]
Personal life
Poppe's husband Eric works for General Motors.[10] They have two children and live in Michigan as of 2016.[7]
References
- "Executive Profile: Patricia Kessler Poppe". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- "Patti Poppe". Crain's Detroit Business. 2017.
- "Patricia K. Poppe". Automotive Hall of Fame. Missing or empty
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(help) - "Patricia Kessler Poppe". Bloomberg.
- "Leading Consumers Energy into the Future". Lansing Regional Chamber. July 5, 2017.
- "Patti Poppe: Powering change from inside and out". Crain's Detroit Business. November 5, 2017.
- "'Who says you can't go home:' Jackson County native set to take reins of Consumers Energy". mlive. 2017.
- Courtesy Photo Consumers (2016-01-26). "Consumers Energy president, CEO to retire; Patti Poppe named successor". MLive.com. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- "Patricia K. Poppe". Purdue University.
- Benjamin Raven (2016-04-06). "'Who says you can't go home:' Jackson County native set to take reins of Consumers Energy". MLive.com. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- "Jackson County native Patti Poppe named VP of customer operations for Consumers Energy". mlive. December 3, 2010.
- "Michigan has energy 'opportunity of a generation,' says Consumers CEO Patti Poppe". MLive. 2017.
- "Poppe: Change is on the way for state and region's energy future". Lansing State Journal. June 11, 2017.
- "Guest column: Non-discrimination ordinance will strengthen Jackson community, grow business". Michigan Live. February 5, 2017.
- "Consumers Energy chief Patti Poppe takes on big challenge with new job; 'Michigan will always be home'". Crain's Detroit Business. November 18, 2020.
- Morris, J. D. (November 19, 2020). "PG&E names Michigan utility chief as new CEO". SFChronicle.com.