Ben Fowke is chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Xcel Energy. He previously served as president and chief operating officer (COO) with responsibility for overall corporate operations as well as Xcel Energy’s four operating companies, which do business in eight states.
Prior to being named president and COO in 2009, Fowke held a variety of executive positions at the company, including vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) and vice president and CFO of Energy Markets, where he was responsible for the financial operations of the company’s commodities trading and marketing business unit. Prior to the 2000 merger of Northern States Power Co. and New Century Energies (NCE) to form Xcel Energy, he was a vice president in the NCE Retail business unit.
Prior to working with Xcel Energy, Fowke served 10 years with FPL Group, Inc., where he held various management positions. He has also held positions outside the energy industry with DWG Corp. and KPMG.
He currently serves on the board of directors of the Edison Electric Institute, Nuclear Energy Institute, Energy Insurance Mutual, and Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. In the community, Fowke serves on the board of directors of the Minnesota Business Partnership and Greater MSP and is an advisory board member of the Metropolitan Economic Development Association.