Rod West

Rod West was named executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Entergy on June 7, 2010. West is a member of the Office of the Chief Executive and has responsibility for Entergy’s shared services functions supporting commercial activities of its utility and nuclear operations, and wholesale commodities businesses. Functions reporting to the CAO include finance operations, supply chain, business processes, administrative services, information technology, human resources and administration, federal policy, regulatory and governmental affairs, and corporate communications.

In addition to assuring one integrated corporate strategy on critical initiatives, West’s organization serves as the primary interface with the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government.

Since his naming as CAO, West has taken on a number of critical corporate projects designed to deliver efficiencies, savings and results for all Entergy stakeholders. He was responsible for execution of Entergy’s Human Capital Management imperative, a corporate-wide redesign of the company along four primary dimensions: organization structure and processes; compensation and benefits; procurement/sourcing/supply chain; and employee-driven O&M. The effort is expected to deliver total savings of $200-$250 million in savings by 2016.

West also oversaw the development and launch of the Entergy Shared Services Company, a redesign of all corporate center and business support functions. The redesign focused on delivering improved performance and cost savings across Entergy through efficient, compliant and standardized business processes.
In addition, he is the executive responsible for the development and execution of corporate strategy to align performance to organizational culture and positive results for key stakeholders.

West also has executive leadership responsibility for the company’s environmental commitments and positions. As part of this initiative, he sits on the board of directors of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a widely acclaimed, independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to advance strong policy and action to address the twin challenges of energy and climate change.

Widely known as a proven hands-on leader, West was uniquely involved in the rebuilding of Entergy New Orleans, Inc. and the great American city that it proudly serves. First, in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck and flooded 80 percent of the city, West was serving as manager of the metro New Orleans region with responsibility for the city’s electric infrastructure. After ensuring the safety of his workforce, many of whom lost homes to the storm, West and his team went to work overseeing a $250 million reconstruction of the nearly destroyed New Orleans electrical infrastructure.

In 2007, as president and chief executive officer of Entergy New Orleans, West led Entergy New Orleans out of bankruptcy and back to profitability, securing Community Block Development Grant funds to alleviate debilitating rate increases on customers. Additionally, he oversaw the industry’s largest natural gas rebuild effort in history – the replacement of approximately 860 miles of underground pipe damaged after Hurricane Katrina. That project was named by the Platts Global Energy Awards as the 2009 Global Infrastructure Project of the Year.

West joined Entergy Corporation as senior regulatory counsel in April 1999 where he led Entergy’s regulatory transition team in obtaining the necessary government approvals for the proposed merger with Florida Power and Light. In 2001, West was named director of the Entergy New Orleans regulatory affairs department where he managed the 2000-2001 natural gas crisis that drove customer bills beyond levels of affordability.

Two years later, he took over the responsibility of the company’s electric distribution operations in New Orleans, managing hundreds of employees responsible for the daily maintenance and operation of the electric grid. The role positioned him to lead that team after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the city.

Before joining Entergy, West was a senior attorney in the New Orleans office of Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox, L.L.P. commercial litigation department. He also spent five years with the New Orleans-based firm of Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, L.L.P. West is a member of the State Bar of Louisiana.

An accomplished problem solver, West is a constant go-to person for civic results in his hometown. In 2010, he led the New Orleans business community in achieving a dedicated source of funding for the redevelopment of New Orleans Recreation Department. He also made the closing arguments to NFL owners on behalf of the city’s bid to host Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.

His charitable and community work are largely focused on education, healthcare, economic development and the rebuilding of south Louisiana and New Orleans. West is a member of the board of directors of First Bank and Trust, First Trust, the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Edison Electric Institute.

In 2000, he was appointed for a six-year term by former Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster to the Louisiana State University System Board of Supervisors. In 2006, West was reappointed to another term by former Gov. Kathleen Blanco and named board chairman through the 2006 and 2007 academic year. In May 2009, West was named to the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees. West is a member of both the Executive Leadership Council and Sigma Pi Phi fraternity.

West received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame where he lettered three years as outside linebacker and tight end for Lou Holtz and the Fighting Irish’s 1988 National Championship football team. He received his Juris Doctor from the Tulane University School of Law in 1993 and his MBA from Tulane University in 2005. He graduated from Brother Martin High School in New Orleans in 1986.