CISO appointment
FirstEnergy appoints Brian Harrell as Vice President and Chief Security Officer
Brian Harrell is the Vice President and Chief Security Officer of FirstEnergy. Brian joins from Avangrid, where they served as Vice President and Chief Security Officer.
Records: FirstEnergy · Brian Harrell
| Person | Brian Harrell |
|---|---|
| New role | Vice President and Chief Security Officer |
| Company | FirstEnergy |
| Previous role | Vice President and Chief Security Officer, Avangrid |
| Announced | April 9, 2026 |
| Added to the record | September 25, 2026 |
| Source | FirstEnergy (company announcement) |
What this move signals
FirstEnergy appointed Brian Harrell, a former senior U.S. homeland security official, as Vice President and Chief Security Officer, the utility announced on April 9, 2026. Harrell most recently held the same title at Avangrid, where he oversaw cybersecurity, physical security, intelligence, privacy and resilience across a multistate energy portfolio.
The appointment puts cyber and physical security under one executive, the converged model Harrell ran at Avangrid.
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