DQE appoints Kevin Walker as new CEO, president

The Board of Directors for DQE Holdings LLC (DQE) appointed last week Kevin Walker as the new CEO and president of Duquesne Light Company (DLC), Duquesne Light Holdings, Inc., and DQE.

Walker succeeds Mark Kaplan has served in an interim role since January, also serving as the company’s CFO. Kaplan will retain his CFO role throughout June, after which he will become a special advisor to the company’s management and board of directors. In his place, Matthew Ankrum will assume the role of both vice president and CFO as of July 1.

“With more than 30 years of utility and leadership experience, Kevin has played an integral role at DLC over the past year in helping to navigate the complexities of the COVID pandemic,” Joseph Guyaux, chairman of the board of directors, said. “We have been impressed with Kevin’s business acumen, vision of the energy future, and commitment to supporting employees, customers, and the communities we serve.”

Walker first joined DLC as COO in April 2020. Before that, he had served as senior vice president of customer and operations services and nuclear decommissioning for Southern California Edison. In the past, he has also worked in COO-level posts at both Iberdrola and American Electric Power.

“It is my honor and privilege to lead the talented and dedicated employees of DLC, TEN, and DQE Communications, and I’m looking forward to working with our business and community partners in Allegheny and Beaver counties,” Walker said. “I’ve been impressed with the company’s ability to provide excellent customer service to the people of the Pittsburgh region, and my goal is to continue to meet our customers’ changing energy needs.”

DLC, which manages energy for more than 500,000 customers in Pennsylvania, has also touted the appointment for what it represents: Walker is the first person of color to reach such an executive role in the company. Walker also serves on the board of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.