Xcel Energy appoints new chief customer officer and general counsel

With the departure of Xcel Energy’s group president of Utilities and chief customer officer, the company opted this week to appoint its current executive vice president, chief legal and compliance officer to the role, as well as to name a new general counsel.

Amanda Rome took the former role from outgoing Brett Carter this week, effective immediately. This position moves Rome from her former place as executive vice president, chief legal and compliance officer. That position will now go to Ryan Long, vice president and deputy general counsel, on an interim basis.

Rome has worked with Xcel Energy since 2015 and was promoted to general counsel in 2020, followed by chief legal and compliance officer in 2021. Before her time there, she worked as a litigator at Faegre Baker Daniels in Minneapolis and Winston & Strawn in Chicago. All four of Xcel’s operating company presidents and customer organization leaders will now report to her.

“Xcel Energy has extraordinary opportunities in the next decade to lead the clean energy transition, and I’m excited by the team we have assembled to deliver on our business and customer strategy,” Bob Frenzel, Xcel Energy’s chairman, president and CEO, said. “Our workers are committed to providing reliable, safe energy service while keeping bills low for customers as we achieve our ambitious clean energy goals.”

Carter, who left to pursue other work, said that he will remain available to aid the transition through year’s end.

As to the counsel side of things, Long likewise joined the company in 2015, after working as a litigator for Faegre Baker Daniels in Minneapolis and Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City. At Xcel, he previously managed the legal teams responsible for federal and state regulatory, environmental and real estate matters.