Entergy Arkansas announces leadership changes

Entergy Corp. has announced that Entergy Arkansas Inc. (EAI) President and CEO Hugh McDonald will retire in 2016.

The company also announced that Rick Riley, current vice president of transmission for Entergy Services Inc., has been promoted to group vice president of EAI and will begin the transition process during the last part of McDonald's time with the company.

"Rick embraces our vision for Arkansas' growth and is the right choice to lead Entergy Arkansas in the future," Entergy Corp. Chairman and CEO Leo Denault said. “His three decades of experience in a wide array of roles provide him with an excellent foundation to meet the needs of Entergy Arkansas' stakeholders. Additionally, the plan we have in place to have Rick serve with Hugh over the upcoming months will ensure a smooth transition at a very important time for Entergy Arkansas."

Current Vice President of Supply Optimization Jim Schott will take Riley's post as the vice president of transmission. Both Riley and Schott will begin their new positions on Sunday.

McDonald served as AEI's president and CEO since 2000 and was the leading force behind the company's move onto the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which provided the company economic growth and helped save its clients $46 million in costs in their first year on the system.

"Hugh's 34 years of contributions to Entergy and its key stakeholders are immeasurable," Theo Bunting, group president of utility operations, said. "At every step of his career, Hugh's leadership and vision have been instrumental in making the right decisions on so many critical issues.