Rod West is group president, utility operations for Entergy Corporation. Headquartered in New Orleans, Entergy is an integrated energy company that owns and operates regulated and merchant power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of generating capacity. The company’s Utility business serves nearly three million customers in four states in the U.S. Gulf South.

In his role, West is responsible for the operational and financial performance of Entergy’s five operating companies, including electric and natural gas distribution, and customer service operations.  In addition, he also oversees the utility’s engagement with state and local regulators, and regulated retail commercial development and innovation.

In his previous role as Chief Administrative Officer, West’s responsibilities included the company’s shared services functions supporting Utility, nuclear and wholesale operations, including finance operations, supply chain, business processes, administrative services, information technology, human resources and administration, federal policy, regulatory and governmental affairs and corporate communications. West also lead the development and execution of the company’s environmental strategy.

As President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans from 2007-2010, West led Entergy New Orleans out of its post-hurricane Katrina bankruptcy and back to profitability. In the post-Katrina period, he is credited with leading the company’s ongoing effort to replace nearly 850 miles of underground pipe damaged after Hurricane Katrina, an effort recognized as the 2009 Global Infrastructure Project of the Year by Platts Global Energy Awards. As director of electric distribution operations, a role he held from 2003-2006, he oversaw the reconstruction of the electrical infrastructure of New Orleans.

West joined Entergy Corporation as senior regulatory counsel in April 1999 and served as director regulatory affairs for Entergy New Orleans from 2001-2003.

West is the president of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, serves on the board of directors for the Electric Power Research Institute and the Edison Electric Institute as well as on the board of trustees for the University of Notre Dame. Previously, he served twelve years on the Louisiana State University System Board of Supervisors, serving as chairperson from 2006-2007.

Before joining Entergy, West was senior attorney in the commercial litigation section of Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox, L.L.P. He also spent five years with New Orleans-based Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, L.L.P. West is a member of the State Bar of Louisiana.

West has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame where he lettered three years for Lou Holtz and the Fighting Irish’s 1988 National Championship football team. He received his Juris Doctor from the Tulane University School of Law and his MBA from Tulane University.