JACKSON, MI -- After six years at the helm and 34 years with the company, John Russell, Consumers Energy president and CEO, will retire effective July 1.
Jackson County native Patricia Poppe, 47, will take over Russell's role in July as he shifts to his expected position on the CMS Energy and Consumers Energy board of directors, according to a press release from the company.
Poppe is set to become the first female president in the Michigan-based company's 129-year history.
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Poppe joined Consumers in 2011 after leadership stints with DTE Energy and in the automotive industry. She is the current senior vice president of distribution operations, engineering and transmission for the company.
"Patti's succession has been part of our strategic process for developing and preparing the next generation of leaders and ensuring a seamless and orderly CEO transition," Russell said in the release. "Her passionate commitment to customer-first management and her far-reaching and successful performance in leadership roles in the energy and automotive industries make her an ideal candidate to lead CMS Energy and Consumers Energy."
Patti Poppe
Under Russell's rule, the company's market capitalization increased from $3.4 to $10 billion, according to the release.
In addition, this past year served as the company's "safest year" in history, the release reads.
Consumers will host a webcast on its website to discuss personnel changes and financial results from the past year.
Poppe comes with a master's degree in management from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, and a bachelor's and additional master's in industrial engineering from Purdue University, according to the release.
"Our executive team and employees remain fully committed to the ongoing execution of our successful strategy," said Poppe in the release. "We will continue to provide customers with safe, affordable and reliable electric and gas service, work collaboratively with regulators, and make Michigan a great place to live and work."