Katie Aittola has been appointed as the new senior vice president of supply chain and real estate, and chief procurement officer at Duke Energy, effective January 1. She will take over from Dwight Jacobs, who is retiring after 23 years with the company.
Aittola will oversee sourcing and supply chain operations across Duke Energy’s service areas, as well as manage the company’s real estate activities. These responsibilities include strategic planning, property transactions, and facilities management to support energy delivery.
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.”
During Jacobs’ tenure, Duke Energy’s supply chain operations received industry recognition for their performance in challenging conditions. Titone also stated: “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. Since taking on these roles, she has led initiatives that changed her organization’s approach to risk management and strategy. She joined Duke Energy in 2009 and has held various positions in finance and supply chain governance.
Commenting on her new appointment, Aittola said: “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. 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. It provides electric utilities services to about 8.6 million customers across six states—North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky—and owns approximately 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve around 1.7 million customers in five states.
The company is investing in upgrades to its electric grid infrastructure while expanding cleaner generation sources such as natural gas, nuclear power, renewables, and energy storage technologies.
More information can be found at duke-energy.com or through the Duke Energy News Center.
