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Pinnacle West Capital president/CEO retires; billionaire David Koch dies

S&P Global Market Intelligence presents a weekly rundown of recent executive management, board and regulatory changes in the energy industry. The moves are listed by sector in reverse chronological order.

Power

* American Electric Power Co. Inc. appointed Greg Filipkowski vice president of information technology, effective Aug. 24. Filipkowski has been serving in the position on an interim basis, according to an Aug. 22 news release.

* Pinnacle West Capital Corp. announced Aug. 21 that Don Brandt will retire as its president and CEO, effective Nov. 15, after spending 16 years with the company. The board appointed Jeff Guldner, president of the company's principal subsidiary, Arizona Public Service Co., to the board, effective immediately. He will replace Brandt as board chairman and CEO of both Pinnacle West and APS upon Brandt's retirement. Guldner will remain APS' president as well.

* SolarEdge Technologies Inc. named Uri Bechor as COO. Bechor most recently served as senior vice president of global operations for Europe and the Americas at Flextronics International Ltd., according to an Aug. 20 news release.

* FuelCell Energy Inc. appointed Jason Few CEO and president, effective Aug. 26. Few joined the company's board in November 2018 and will continue to serve as a nonindependent director, according to an Aug. 20 release.

* Iberdrola SA's U.K. subsidiary ScottishPower Renewables (UK) Ltd. appointed Sam Gardner to the newly created position of head of climate change and sustainability. Gardner most recently served as deputy director of conservation charity WWF Scotland.

* SolarEdge Technologies Inc. appointed Nadav Zafrir a board member and co-chairman, according to an Aug. 15 release. The board made the appointment in light of the continued illness of founder, Chairman and CEO Guy Sella, who has taken an immediate leave of absence to address health issues. In Sella's absence, the company's executive vice president for global sales, Zvi Lando, will be acting CEO, according to an Aug. 21 news release.

Oil and gas utility/midstream

* Billionaire David Koch, a long-time shareholder and director of Koch Industries Inc., died Aug. 23 at age 79. Koch, who controlled the second-largest private company in the U.S. with his brother Charles, fought various illnesses over the years, according to a same-day release from Koch Industries. He retired as executive vice president of the company in 2018 due to health concerns.

* Calgary, Alberta-based Enerflex Ltd. appointed Sanjay Bishnoi senior vice president and CFO; and David Izett senior vice president, general counsel, effective Sept. 9. Bishnoi was co-founder and CFO of Caprock Midstream LLC, a private-equity natural gas, oil and water-oriented midstream venture based in Houston. Izett served as legal counsel and held other leadership roles at oil and gas producer Occidental Petroleum Corp. supporting its business units across the Middle East.

* Oil refiner Delek US Holdings Inc. said in an Aug. 22 securities filing that Carlos Jorda resigned as a member of its board, effective Aug. 20.

* Larry Mazza resigned from PDC Energy Inc.'s board Aug. 16, according to an Aug. 22 securities filing. Mazza, who is president, CEO and a director of multistate financial services company MVB Financial Corp., was elected to PDC's board in 2007.

* Borr Drilling Ltd. recommended Paal Kibsgaard as chairman of its board. Kibsgaard is replacing Fredrik Halvorsen as a board member after the latter decided to step down, effective Sept. 1, according to an Aug. 22 news release. The election will occur at the annual general meeting on Sept. 27.

* William Ordemann retired as executive vice president of Enterprise Products Partners LP's general partner, effective Aug. 16. Ordemann also retired as an employee of Enterprise Products Co., a privately owned affiliate of the partnership, according to an Aug. 22 SEC filing.

* Comstock Resources Inc. named Ronald Mills as vice president of finance and investor relations. Mills previously served as senior exploration and production research analyst for 15 years at brokerage firm Johnson Rice & Co. LLC.

* Whiting Petroleum Corp. added Lyne Andrich and Michael Hutchinson to its board, effective Sept. 1. Hutchinson most recently served as interim CEO of coal company Westmoreland Coal Co., which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy having sold substantially all of its assets to a new entity, Westmoreland Mining LLC, a privately held company owned and operated by a group of its former creditors. Andrich is a board member of financial services company Fortis Financial Inc., according to an Aug. 21 news release.

* Randall Wade and Jason Downie stepped down from the board of Southcross Energy Partners LP's general partner Southcross Energy Partners GP LLC, effective Aug. 14. Wade, who was not a member of any board committees, is the COO of EIG Global Energy Partners LLC, which indirectly owns about one-third of the general partner's parent company Southcross Holdings LP. Downie, a member of the compensation committee, is the co-founder and managing partner of Tailwater Capital LLC, which also indirectly owns about one-third of Southcross Holdings. The resignations came in light of the partnership's pending litigations against Southcross Holdings affiliate Southcross Holdings Borrower LP, according to the SEC filing.

Coal

* Mike Tracy is stepping down as CEO of coal producer Drummond Co. Inc. on Oct. 31 after 40 years with the company. Tracy, who became chief executive in July 2016, will continue serving the boards of Drummond and Drummond International LLC after his retirement. For a period of time, he will also serve as a part-time consultant to facilitate a smooth transition. Drummond named Richard Mullen, the company's president and COO, as Tracy's successor, effective Nov. 1. In addition to these changes, Drummond also announced the appointment of Ron Damron as president of mining. Damron most recently served as COO of Drummond International, managing all operations in Colombia.