The nationalized energy company Uniper has found a new CEO. The previous head of the Eon business in the United Kingdom, Michael Lewis, is to succeed Klaus-Dieter Maubach, who resigned from the Management Board at the end of February, Uniper announced on Wednesday after an extraordinary meeting of the Supervisory Board. The formal appointment of the manager should take place promptly. His contract will run for a period of five years.
“Uniper faces major challenges, but above all, huge opportunities when it comes to shaping the energy transition,” said Lewis. His employer Eon emphasized that the group regrets the planned departure of the manager. At the same time, Eon is convinced “that Uniper made an excellent choice with him,” said Eon boss Leonhard Birnbaum. Eon is “in constructive talks with Uniper to reach an agreement on a suitable change date”. A successor for Lewis is already being sought.
Uniper Supervisory Board Chairman Tom Blades attested to Lewis’ expertise, vision and passion. Lewis still knows many Uniper employees from their shared past at Eon – because Uniper emerged from the former power plant division and the trading business of the energy group, which it spun off in 2016. He has held various positions at Eon since 2007 and was also responsible for renewable energies. He is currently responsible for business in Great Britain.
Russia’s gas supply freeze hit Uniper hard
His selection was also well received by the Uniper employees. “We’re getting (…) an experienced CEO who cares about the interests of the workforce,” said Group Works Council Chairman Harald Seegatz. In addition, Lewis is “an energy manager who stands for future issues and the green transformation”.
Gas importer Uniper got into difficulties as a result of Russia’s gas supply freeze and had to be protected from imminent bankruptcy by the public sector with billions in aid. The federal government finally took over Uniper. Lewis has a lot of work to do after taking office at the group, which had accumulated a net loss of 19.1 billion euros last year. According to the management, Uniper could face further losses in the gas business. The group should, however, start anew under the umbrella of the federal government.
“It will be the task of the new board of directors and the supervisory board to further develop Uniper and make it profitable again,” said ex-boss Maubach. “Security of supply and decarbonization will be the guiding principles – because they are two sides of the same coin.”