FirstEnergy hires legal officer as fallout of Householder probe
FirstEnergy Corp. AKRON— has a new chief legal officer and senior vice president, Hyun Park.
Park assumes his newjob Jan. 11, when he will lead FirstEnergy’s legal, risk and internal audit and oversee the company’s ethics and compliance program, the Akron utility announced this week.
He succeeds Robert Reffner, who was “separated” from his job as chief legal officer in early November along with Ebony Yeboah-Amankwah, general counsel and chief ethics office, as part of the fallout involving the utility and the ongoing $61 million Larry Householder bribery investigation. The two were separated from FirstEnergy “due to inaction and conduct that the board determined was influenced by the improper tone at the top,” FirstEnergy said in a regulatory filing.
The two executives left the company shortly after FirstEnergy’s board on Oct. 29 fired Chuck Jones, its chief executive officer, and two other senior leaders related to the federal investigation into former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.
Park has experience as general counsel of two publicly held utility companies, including PG&E Corp., and an independent power producer. He most recently was a partner and general counsel at LimNexus LLP, an international law firm.
At PG& E, Park was responsible for all legal affairs, including corporate governance, SEC disclosure, litigation, transactions and regulatory matters, FirstEnergy said in a news release.
“Hyun’s significant experience in managing complex legal issues and addressing corporate challenges makes him the ideal leader for this role,” Donald T. Misheff, FirstEnergy’s non-executive chairman, said in the release. “The board looks forwardtoworking withhim and the rest of the management team as we continue to rebuild trust with our stakeholders, strengthen the company’s corporate governance, and position FirstEnergy for the future.”
Hyunwill support FirstEnergy efforts to evaluate and advance its ethics and compliance program, said Steven E. Strah, acting chief executive officer and president. “Thiswork is intended to ensure FirstEnergy has the right processes and culture in place aswe continue to successfully execute our strategy and deliver value for all our stakeholders.”
“I’m pleased to join FirstEnergy at this time of change and share the company’s commitment to fostering trust and transparency at all levels,” Park said. “I look forward to working with the FirstEnergy team to accomplish this goal while furthering the company’s mission for the benefit of customers, communities, employees, and shareholders.”
Prior to joining LimNexus in October 2019, Park was counsel at Latham & Watkins LLP.
From 2006 to 2017, Park served as senior vice president and general counsel for PG&E Corp. and its businesses. Before that, he was vicepresident, general counsel and secretary of Allegheny Energy Inc. He alsowas senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Sithe Energies Inc.
Park received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He has a graduate degree in economics from Oxford University and a bachelor’s degree in economics fromColumbia University. He is a member of the State Bar of California and serves on the board of directors of the San Francisco Marin Food Bank.