The Board of Directors for UGI Corp., a natural gas and electric power distribution company headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa., appointed Robert Flexon, 66, as the company’s new president and chief executive officer.
Flexon will take the reins at UGI starting Nov. 1 after stepping down Oct. 31 from the Board of Directors of PG&E Corp., where he has served as chairman since the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020. Flexon previously served as UGI’s chief financial officer (CFO) from February 2011 to July 2011.
“I’m excited to return to UGI to begin work on driving operational improvements, strengthening the financial profile of the company, and further building upon the culture that has been established over the many years of the company’s rich history,” Flexon said Tuesday. “I look forward to working closely with our Board of Directors and re-connecting with past colleagues and the overall organization.”
Once at UGI, Flexon will replace Mario Longhi, UGI’s chairman, who has served as interim president and CEO since December 2023. Longhi will resume his role as an independent director and will serve as non-executive chairman of UGI’s Board of Directors.
“The board would like to thank Mario for stepping in and assuming the role of interim president and chief executive officer at a critical time for the company,” said Alan Harris, UGI’s presiding director. “Mario’s continued commitment to the long-term success of the company provides a great foundation on which Bob can build.”
In addition to his new role, Flexon will serve on the Board of Directors of UGI, which owns UGI Utilities Inc., a natural gas and electric utility headquartered in Denver, Pa., and AmeriGas, the largest propane marketer in the United States. UGI Corp. also owns AvantiGas, Antargaz, and Flaga, which are all brands used to distribute liquefied petroleum gas in Europe.
“The board welcomes back Bob to UGI’s leadership team and looks forward to working closely with him, said Longhi. “Bob’s extensive leadership and industry experience, coupled with his financial acumen and broad experience in operations, will be of significant value to UGI and its stakeholders as we continue to deliver on UGI’s long-term strategy and create value for our shareholders.
“Bob has a proven track record in transforming and optimizing organizations and I am happy to have someone of Bob’s caliber join us on our journey ahead,” he added.
Since 2021, Flexon has served as a director of The Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc. and will depart the board at the end of his term in December. Since earlier this year, he also has been chairman of the board of the privately held Nexus Water Group.
Additionally, Flexon currently serves as the board chair for Capstone Green Energy Holdings Inc., a position he has also held since 2021. He joined the Capstone board as a director in 2018 and also served as Capstone’s interim president and CEO from August 2023 until this past March to lead the company’s restructuring.
Outside of his board duties, Flexon was president, CEO, and director from July 2011 to April 2018 at Dynegy Inc., a power generating company. Before holding that position, he worked at UGI for several months after working at Foster Wheeler AG, a global engineering and construction contractor and power equipment supplier, where he served as CEO in 2010.
Flexon, who began his career as a CPA in 1980, was also previously executive vice president and CFO at NRG Energy Inc., a wholesale power generation company, from February 2009 to November 2009 after serving in other positions at the company.