ATLANTA, April 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company today announced additional personnel moves in advance of the retirement of Mark Lantrip after 40 years of service. Lantrip, who will be retiring this month, most recently served as the executive vice president for Southern Company and chief executive officer of Southern Company Services, Inc. (SCS), the Southern Company system service company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Company.
Over the last six years in his role with SCS, Lantrip has been responsible for setting direction and driving marketing collaboration across the regulated and unregulated companies. He also has overseen the growth of Southern Company's unregulated businesses and innovative strategies including Southern Company's R&D organization and New Ventures.
In conjunction with the retirement, Tom Fanning, chairman, president & CEO of Southern Company, today announced several management changes to fill roles previously held by Lantrip:
Stan Connally, executive vice president of Operations for Southern Company, will be adding the title of chief executive officer of SCS. As CEO, Connally will be responsible for the primary shared services activities and administration functions for SCS.
Connally will continue to oversee Southern Company's systemwide operations. This includes generation, transmission, engineering and construction services, commercial operations, system planning and environmental affairs, as well as Southern Wholesale Energy, telecommunications businesses and the supply chain organization. Since beginning his career with Southern Company in 1989 as a co-op student at Georgia Power's Plant Yates, Connally has served in senior leadership roles at each of the company's electric operating companies – Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Mississippi Power and former subsidiary Gulf Power. Most recently, Connally was Gulf Power's chairman, president and CEO.
A key leader within the Southern Company system, Martin Davis, executive vice president for SCS and chief information officer of Southern Company and a member of Southern Company's executive management council, will become executive vice president of Southern Company, remain the CIO and report directly to Fanning. In further recognition of the integral role technology plays in the operations of Southern Company, a major focus of the Technology Organization now will be to work under the leadership of the SCS CEO in the mission to greater align the information technology and operations technology functions and create strategies that deliver increased value to customers.
Jim Kerr, executive vice president, chief legal officer and chief compliance officer for Southern Company, will be assuming Lantrip's internal role as chief of staff. In this position, Kerr helps Fanning with the fulfillment of his strategic priorities with the board of directors, the management council and officers across the system.
As previously announced, Chris Cummiskey has been named executive vice president and Chief Commercial and Customer Solutions Officer for Southern Company, effective Jan. 1. Cummiskey is responsible for delivering growth and customer solutions across Southern Company's subsidiaries and driving efficiencies and collaboration of Southern Company's customer, marketing and branding strategies across the companies. Cummiskey also oversees innovation functions including Southern Company's Research and Development and New Ventures organizations and serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Southern Power, PowerSecure and Southern Holdings. Cummiskey is a member of Southern Company's executive Management Council and reports to Fanning.
About Southern Company Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy company serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America, a leading distributed energy infrastructure company, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices below the national average. For more than a century, we have been building the future of energy and developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, advanced carbon capture technologies, natural gas, renewables, energy efficiency and storage technology. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation and a low-carbon future, Southern Company and its subsidiaries develop the customized energy solutions our customers and communities require to drive growth and prosperity. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and govern our business to the benefit of our world. Our corporate culture and hiring practices have been recognized nationally by the U.S. Department of Defense, G.I. Jobs magazine, DiversityInc, Black Enterprise, Fortune's "World's Most Admired Companies" list, Forbes and the Women's Choice Award. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.
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