Industrial, Energy & Manufacturing

Chief Financial Officer, NW Natural Gas

OVERVIEW

NW Natural is a publicly traded utility company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Operating primarily as a natural gas distributor, the company serves more than 770,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1859, the company has annual revenues of just under one billion dollars.

CHALLENGE

NW Natural Gas was looking for a Chief Financial Officer who was more than a numbers expert. They were looking for a leader who could provide critical strategic advice to the CEO and leadership team and be an active participant in planning the long-term growth strategy for the company. The hire needed to help find new revenue channels and expand on new and existing business opportunities. Additionally, the hire needed to understand at a core level how to mitigate financial risk and streamline operating costs. In short, this person needed to be a key driver of the company’s future in close collaboration with the CEO and the leadership team.

RESULT

We knew we needed to cast a wide net to find the candidate who was up to the task. We found someone who had been working at a global energy company as the CEO of their US operations. But he had risen through the ranks as a financial expert, having most recently been CFO before filling the CEO role. We were delighted to present a candidate who had a strong financial acumen, a strategic mindset, and seasoned leadership capabilities. More importantly, this person was the right cultural fit and shared the same company values. Since taking on the role with NW Natural Gas, he’s been able to mentor and groom the current controller as part of a long-term succession planning process.