AVANGRID Announces Leadership Appointments
ORANGE, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company, today announced several senior executive appointments designed to strengthen the leadership of key functions and to further drive business objectives.
“These appointments further strengthen our leadership team and reflect organizational changes designed to drive accountability, collaboration and great execution so that we can meet our ambition to be the leading sustainable energy company in the U.S.,” said Dennis V. Arriola, CEO of AVANGRID. “We have a strong bench of talent and I am excited about the experience and new perspectives these leaders will bring to these roles. This group of executives further demonstrates AVANGRID’s commitment to a diverse leadership team.”
Kyra Patterson is appointed Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer. In this role, Patterson will oversee the Human Resources and Environmental Health and Safety functions for the company. Patterson, who joined AVANGRID in 2017, has held a series of roles of increasing responsibility, most recently overseeing Labor and Employee Relations, HR Policy and Compliance as well as HR Shared Services. Prior to AVANGRID, she served as the Head of HR for HAI Group, held various HR leadership roles at Diageo North America as well as HR positions at Sears, International Paper and the Ohio State Medical Center. Patterson, who holds a master’s degree in Labor and Human Resources from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree from Prairie View A&M University, is an honorably discharged veteran from the US Navy, where she served for six years.
Patricia Cosgel is appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer where she will oversee Treasury, Control and Administration, Investor Relations, Risk and Tax. Cosgel most recently served as Vice President of Investor Relations. She joined AVANGRID from UIL Holdings Corporation in 2015 after the merger with Iberdrola USA where she was Vice President and Treasurer. Prior to that, Cosgel was with Eversource for 12 years where she held various roles in the finance function, including Assistant Treasurer and Director of Enterprise Risk Management. She began her career at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston. Cosgel holds a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Iowa, where she passed all PhD qualifying examinations and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Dickinson College where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude. Cosgel’s appointment follows the announcement in January that Doug Stuver, the current chief financial officer, would be leaving the company. Her appointment is effective February 24, 2022.
Dave Labelle is appointed to the newly created role of Chief Administrative Officer overseeing the Procurement and Corporate Security functions as well as General Services, which includes facilities and fleet management. Labelle, who joined AVANGRID in 2017, was most recently Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety, where he led a health and safety culture change and played a pivotal role in navigating the company through the pandemic. Dave initiated wellbeing programs at the company, including programs focused on employee mental health. Prior to joining AVANGRID, Labelle held a number of leadership and management positions supporting manufacturing, utility and renewables businesses. His roles included environmental, health and safety as well as security and facilities positions with companies such as SunEdison, National Grid, General Electric, Dresser and CertainTeed. Labelle also chairs the G+ Offshore Wind Health & Safety Organization United States Focal Group, an organization initiated in 2019 to drive better engagement and collaboration with regional regulatory bodies as well as existing associations in the region. Labelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Alvaro Ortega is appointed Vice President of Finance reporting to Cosgel, where he will have responsibility for Risk and Investor Relations. Ortega most recently served as the CFO of Vineyard Wind, the first commercial scale offshore wind farm in the United States. Previously, he served as Treasury Manager of Avangrid Renewables and Networks, Deputy Treasury Director for Avangrid Renewables, and Finance and Treasury Analyst at Iberdrola in Bilbao, Spain. Ortega holds an MBA from Babson University, a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain, and a Certificate in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy from Yale University.
Nacho Arronte is promoted to Vice President and Chief Risk Officer with responsibility for the company’s risk registry and monitoring. Arronte joined AVANGRID in 2010 and served in several energy trading roles before joining the Risk team in 2019 as a Senior Director. Arronte holds a master’s degree in the Electric Power Industry from Universidade Pontificia Comillas and a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Universidade Compultense de Madrid. Arronte will report to Ortega.
Patterson, Cosgel and Labelle will report directly to Arriola and join the Company’s Management Committee.
About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $39 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 7,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021 and 2022 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2022, AVANGRID ranked second within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021 for the third consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
Contacts
Zsoka McDonald
(203) 997-6892 or zsoka.mcdonald@avangrid.com
