Katie Aittola has been named as Duke Energy’s new senior vice president of supply chain and real estate, and chief procurement officer, effective January 1. She will succeed Dwight Jacobs, who is retiring after 23 years with the company.
Aittola will be responsible for leading sourcing and supply chain operations across Duke Energy. She will also oversee the company’s real estate function, which includes strategic planning, transactions, and facilities management in support of energy delivery throughout Duke Energy’s service areas.
Bonnie Titone, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Duke Energy, said: “Katie brings to the role a depth of experience with strategic planning, operational transformation and enterprise leadership. She is a true cross-functional leader and well positioned to oversee these operations, which are crucial to our success as we undertake the largest generation build in our company’s history.”
Titone also recognized Jacobs’ contributions: “I am thankful for Dwight’s significant contributions throughout his tenure. In addition to his impacts within our business and industry, his mentorship of emerging leaders, commitment to volunteerism and philanthropic efforts in support of our communities have established a legacy that will endure for years to come.”
Aittola currently serves as senior vice president of enterprise strategy and insurance as well as chief risk officer. In her current roles she has led initiatives that have changed the organization’s approach to risk management and strategic direction. Since joining Duke Energy in 2009, Aittola has held various finance-related positions including corporate development and financial planning roles. She has also managed risk, governance, and business support functions within the supply chain department.
“As we continue to transform the future of energy, delivering business outcomes that move our company forward and deliver value for our many stakeholders remains my focus,” said Aittola. “Our supply chain, real estate and procurement functions are essential enablers of our business strategy and have demonstrated their best-in-class skills as they responded to an extraordinary external environment during a critical time of our energy modernization journey. I’m excited to lead this important work and highly experienced team.”
Aittola resides in Davidson, North Carolina with her family. She volunteers with Scouting America and serves on the board of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.
Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. The company provides electric utilities services to customers in several states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky; it also owns substantial natural gas utility operations.
The company is investing heavily in upgrading its electric grid infrastructure as well as expanding cleaner forms of power generation such as renewables, nuclear energy, natural gas facilities, and energy storage systems.
More information about Duke Energy can be found on its website (https://www.duke-energy.com/) or through its news center (https://news.duke-energy.com/).
