Leadership Team

Brian X. Tierney

Board Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer 

Brian X. Tierney is Chair of the Board of Directors and President and CEO of FirstEnergy.

Previously, Tierney was a Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Operations and Asset Management for Blackstone Infrastructure Partners.

Prior to joining Blackstone in 2021, Tierney spent more than 23 years at American Electric Power, one of the largest electrical utilities in the United States. He held various senior leadership positions at AEP, most recently serving as Executive Vice President of Strategy. From 2009-2020 Tierney served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. As CFO, he directed the company’s finance and accounting activities, and also had responsibility for strategy, procurement, supply chain and fleet operations. Tierney gained operations experience as Executive Vice President – AEP Utilities East, AEP’s largest regulated utility region, responsible for the distribution, customer service, and financial performance of AEP’s utility operating companies in the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Earlier in his career, he worked for a subsidiary of Enron Corp.

Before entering the energy industry, Tierney served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of the Philippines and worked in the consumer products industry.

Tierney earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Boston College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago with concentrations in finance and accounting.

He currently serves on the Boards of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the Greater Cleveland Partnership and Ohio Business Roundtable, and he previously served on the Boards of Trustees of The Jeffrey Company and Energy Insurance Mutual. Tierney also was a member of the following Columbus, Ohio, based nonprofit organizations: Columbus Chamber, Columbus School for Girls, LifeCare Alliance and Mount Carmel College of Nursing.

Karen McClendon

Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Karen McClendon is Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for FirstEnergy.

McClendon joined the company in November 2024 and is responsible for integrating and advancing the company’s human capital strategy, ensuring alignment with FirstEnergy’s strategic vision to be a premier electric company. She oversees key human resources functions, including talent management, benefits and compensation and labor and employee relations, and she is committed to building an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the communities served by the company.

McClendon comes to FirstEnergy from Paychex, a leading provider of integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, benefits, human resources and insurance services. As the company’s CHRO, she led the effort to enhance the employee experience using competitive compensation and benefits structures to recruit and retain top talent and transformed the human resources function by leveraging technology for data-driven human resource planning and decision-making.

Prior to her time at Paychex, McClendon spent 19 years as Vice President of Human Resources for various divisions of Comcast Corp. She also has held senior human resources leadership positions with Aramark, Exelon Corporation, Zone Telecom and Sesame Workshop.

Hyun Park     

Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

Hyun Park is Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for FirstEnergy.

Park joined FirstEnergy in 2021 and is responsible for the company’s legal, internal audit, and ethics and compliance functions.

Previously, Park served as Partner and General Counsel for LimNexus LLP, where he advised clients on a wide variety of complex matters, including crisis management, litigation and corporate transactions. Prior to joining LimNexus in October 2019, he was Of Counsel at Latham & Watkins LLP.

From 2006 to 2017, Park served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for PG&E Corporation and its businesses, including its principal subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Prior to joining PG&E Corporation, Park held various executive leadership roles, including Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Allegheny Energy, Inc. and Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Sithe Energies, Inc. He began his career at Latham & Watkins where he became an equity partner.

Park earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. In addition, he holds a graduate degree in economics from the University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia University.

Dan Puscas

Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer

Dan Puscas is Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer for FirstEnergy. 

Puscas joined FirstEnergy as Interim Chief Information Officer in August 2025 and was named Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer in 2026. He is responsible for the company's technology and digital strategy, including infrastructure, enterprise platforms and digital business services.

Puscas has more than 20 years of experience leading technology and operations transformations. Most recently, he was a Partner with Fortium Partners (TechOps Restructuring LLC), advising private equity-backed companies and serving in interim Chief Information Officer roles. Prior to that, he spent more than two decades with AlixPartners, serving in Chief Information Officer and senior operating leadership roles and leading technology transformations, enterprise platform modernizations, post-merger integrations and restructuring efforts across multiple industries.

Earlier in his career, Puscas served as Senior Vice President at Comerica, leading information technology services and supporting mergers and acquisitions activities. He began his career with IBM Corporation.

Puscas earned a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Detroit Mercy and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in management and economics from Central Michigan University. He also completed the Financial Services Institute program at The Wharton School.

Wade Smith

President, FirstEnergy Utilities  

Wade Smith is President, FirstEnergy Utilities.

Smith joined the company in December 2023 and is responsible for overseeing FirstEnergy’s Distribution, Integrated and Stand-Alone Transmission business segments. He also has responsibility for External Affairs.

Smith has more than three decades of experience leading utilities. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Puget Sound Energy, where he was responsible for all of PSE’s operational areas, serving approximately 1.2 million electric customers and 900,000 natural gas customers.

In 2021, Smith joined Pacific Gas & Electric as Senior Vice President of Electric Operations, leading electric transmission and distribution operations and maintenance, generation and project management and construction

Prior to PG&E, Smith spent nearly 32 years at American Electric Power. In 2010, he was named President and Chief Operating Officer of AEP Texas. Then, in 2015, he became Senior Vice President of Grid Development for AEP Transmission, responsible for planning, engineering, project and construction management, and real-time operations.

Smith earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from Abilene Christian University. He also completed the Executive Program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

K. Jon Taylor 

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer 

Jon Taylor is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for FirstEnergy. 

Taylor joined FirstEnergy in 2009 and is responsible for accounting, treasury, investor relations, risk and strategy. He progressed through various senior-level financial positions, including Assistant Controller at both FirstEnergy Utilities and FirstEnergy Solutions. In October 2012, Taylor was promoted to Vice President and Assistant Controller for FirstEnergy Corp, and he was named Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer in 2013. 

In March 2018, Taylor was named President of Ohio Operations, then he was promoted to Vice President, FirstEnergy Utilities in April 2019, where he oversaw distribution operations for the Company’s five state service territory. He was elected Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in May 2020 and named to his current position effective August 2021. 

Before joining FirstEnergy, Taylor was with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.  

Taylor earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Accounting from The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Taylor is the former Board Chair of the Development Finance Authority of Summit County – an Ohio Port Authority. 

Toby L. Thomas

Chief Operating Officer

Toby Thomas is Chief Operating Officer for FirstEnergy.

Thomas joined the company in November 2023 and is responsible for a broad range of transmission and distribution business functions. His responsibilities include planning and protection, transmission, distribution and substation engineering and standards, project and construction management, real-time system operations, support operations and customer care operations.

Prior to joining FirstEnergy, Thomas served as Senior Vice President, Energy Delivery, for American Electric Power. Promoted to this role in 2021, he was responsible for leading transmission, distribution and telecommunications operations, project management, construction, engineering and standards.

Thomas started at AEP in 2001 as a Project Engineer in Industrial Marketing and Origination, progressing through various roles of increasing responsibility in asset optimization and generation. He was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Indiana Michigan Power in 2017 to oversee business performance, operations and a wide range of customer, policy and regulatory relationships.

He began his career with Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana, serving in engineering and technical specialist roles.

Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Tabrina L. Davis 

Vice President, Communications 

Tabrina Davis is Vice President of Communications for FirstEnergy.

Davis joined the company in May 2025. She is a senior advisor on the executive team, leads the Communications organization and collaborates closely with senior leadership across the company to provide consistent, strategic and impactful messaging that supports and promotes FirstEnergy’s mission and business priorities.

Davis has 20 years of experience as a communications leader. Most recently, she was Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Digital Strategy at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in the Greater Memphis area. She led award-winning campaigns and created employee, physician and leadership communications programs as well as supported business transformation initiatives.

She has held leadership roles in various industries including Senior Consultant and Vice President of Strategic Communications at Wyn-Win Communications, a Chicago-based Communications firm, Vice President of Communications for Northrop Grumman, a multi-national Aerospace and Defense company and Vice President of Corporate Communications at Presence Health, formerly Illinois’ largest Catholic health system.

Davis has deep experience in the electric utility industry. She served in a succession of roles over 12 years, culminating as Vice President of Communications at Exelon subsidiary ComEd.

Davis earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Illinois State University and the University of Iowa, respectively. 

She is a member of the Arthur Page Society, the Memphis Association of Black Journalists and PRSA Memphis Chapter. She serves on the Boards of Hattiloo Theater and New Memphis. She was also a member of the 2024 Class of Leadership Memphis.

Chris Beam

President, West Virginia and Maryland  

Chris Beam is President, West Virginia and Maryland for FirstEnergy. 

Beam joined FirstEnergy in 2025 as Vice President, Generation Project Development and was named President, West Virginia and Maryland in 2026. He is responsible for Mon Power, Potomac Edison and FirstEnergy's regulated generation business, including operational performance, financial results and regulatory and legislative strategy.

Beam has more than 35 years of utility industry experience. Prior to joining FirstEnergy, he spent more than three decades with American Electric Power (AEP), most recently serving as Executive Vice President, Energy Services, where he was responsible for generation, transmission, procurement and safety. He previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Appalachian Power, overseeing operations across West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee.

Earlier in his career, Beam served as Vice President, Projects, Controls & Construction for AEP, where he oversaw a multibillion-dollar generation project portfolio and led major capital projects.

Beam earned a Bachelor of Science in technical management from DeVry University and an Associate of Applied Science in electronic technology from West Virginia Northern Community College. He also completed executive education programs at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and The Ohio State University.