FirstEnergy Corp. has named Antonio Fernández as vice president and chief ethics and compliance officer effective April 12. (Courtesy of FirstEnergy) AKRON, Ohio – Antonio Fernández has been named vice president and chief ethics and compliance officer of FirstEnergy, the Akron-based company at the center of the Ohio nuclear bailout corruption scandal.
Fernández will assume the role on April 12, FirstEnergy said Monday in a news release.
He succeeds Ebony Yeboah-Amankwah, who was named vice president, general counsel and chief ethics officer in May 2020 and left in November. The House Bill 6 investigation came to light in July as federal prosecutors announced charges against former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four political associates accused of taking about $61 million in bribes to secure a $1 billion bailout for two northern Ohio nuclear plants owned by a former subsidiary of FirstEnergy.
In a Nov. 9 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, FirstEnergy disclosed that Yeboah-Amankwah and the company’s senior vice president and chief legal officer, Robert Reffner, were “separated from the company effective as of Nov. 8, 2020” but did not provide further details. Former CEO Chuck Jones and other executives were fired at the end of October .
Neither FirstEnergy nor any of its employees has been charged in connection with the corruption scandal or formally identified in charging documents, but federal prosecutors have made it clear the company is at the center of the probe.
In his new role, Fernández will “manage a dedicated team of compliance professionals and strengthen FirstEnergy’s ethics and compliance function,” the company said. He will report to Hyun Park, senior vice president and chief legal officer, and the Audit Committee of the Board and its compliance oversight subcommittee, the news release states.
“We are very pleased to welcome Antonio to FirstEnergy,” said Steven E. Strah, FirstEnergy president and chief executive officer. “His fresh perspective will be invaluable as we create an environment in which every member of the team views ethics and compliance as critical organizational and personal imperatives.”
Fernández has worked for five years as chief compliance, NERC and privacy officer for the New Jersey-based Public Service Enterprise Group, a publicly traded company that’s largest subsidiary is the Public Service Electric and Gas Company. He spent a previous five years at GE Power in roles including executive counsel, chief compliance officer for GE’s nuclear business and GE’s Corporate Ombuds Leader.
“Antonio’s skills and experience will be instrumental […]