Nova Scotia Power Inc. president and CEO Wayne O’Connor is going west.
O’Connor is leaving to join ENMAX Corp., so Rick Janega has been appointed interim president and CEO of Nova Scotia Power effective June 1.
NSP parent Emera Inc. and ENMAX, based in Calgary, made separate announcements Wednesday about the executive changes.
“We are grateful for Wayne’s contribution to Emera over the last 17 years and we wish him well in his new role,” Scott Balfour, president and CEO of Emera, said in a news release.
“Given Rick’s significant leadership experience with NSPI, he is an ideal interim leader for the business, providing continuity and deep experience with the utility while we take the time to make the right permanent leadership decision for NSPI.”
Janega is described as an energy industry veteran. Over his 30 years at Emera, he has held a variety of leadership roles, including being a director on NSPI’s board for the last two years. His previous positions at NSPI include executive vice-president and chief operating officer, vice-president of operations, general manager of power production and senior plant manager at the Trenton and Point Tupper generating stations.
He is currently serving as Emera’s COO of electric utilities for Canada, the U.S. northeast and the Caribbean, as well as president and CEO of Emera Newfoundland & Labrador.
“The team at NSPI is laser focused on safely delivering the electricity Nova Scotians are counting on now more than ever,” Janega said in the release.
“I look forward to working even more closely with this strong team to advance plans to innovate to meet customers' evolving needs and continue to deliver cleaner, reliable and affordable energy to Nova Scotian families and businesses.”
Emera said it will begin a recruitment process for a permanent president and CEO of NSPI.
O'Connor has been appointed ENMAX president and CEO effective June 22. The company said the appointment resulted from an extensive North American recruitment process undertaken following the June 2019 announcement of the planned departure of ENMAX president and CEO Gianna Manes.
With operations across Alberta and Maine, ENMAX, through subsidiaries ENMAX Power Corp. and Versant Power (formerly Emera Maine), owns and operates transmission and distribution utilities in Calgary and northern and eastern Maine.
