Vice President and Chief Security Officer brings national security and utility experience to role
AKRON, Ohio, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As U.S. utilities confront an increasingly complex landscape of cyber and physical security threats, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has appointed Brian Harrell, a former senior U.S. homeland security official, as Vice President and Chief Security Officer.
In his role, Harrell will enhance the company’s enterprise security posture by strengthening defenses, expanding intelligence‑driven detection and response capabilities and embedding security more deeply into business and operational planning. His work will emphasize training, readiness and coordination across both corporate and field teams. Harrell’s responsibilities span corporate and field security, 24/7 security operations, enterprisewide cybersecurity, threat intelligence, risk and compliance and security architecture and engineering. He will report to Chief Operating Officer Toby Thomas.
Harrell previously served in senior roles within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where he frequently testified before Congress on countering domestic terrorism and protecting critical infrastructure.
Toby Thomas, Chief Operating Officer, FirstEnergy: “Brian has led security programs that connect intelligence to action in complex, highly regulated environments. That experience will be critical as we strengthen protections across our system and ensure our teams in the field have the tools, training and clarity they need to respond to evolving risks.”
Brian Harrell, Vice President and Chief Security Officer, FirstEnergy: “Security only works when it’s understood and practiced at every level of the organization. That foundation is essential to a resilient grid, which underpins the strength of our communities, the economy and national security. Sophisticated threats aren’t slowing, so we will continue to invest in cybersecurity and risk reduction measures to maintain a reliable and secure system, while strengthening training and readiness for our teams in the field.”
Most recently, Harrell served as Vice President and Chief Security Officer at Avangrid Energy, where he oversaw cybersecurity, physical security, intelligence, privacy and resilience programs across a multistate energy portfolio. During his tenure, he established 24/7 security operations centers, enhanced threat detection and intelligence capabilities, expanded security team capacity and regularly briefed executive leadership and boards on security risks and preparedness.
Harrell has also held enterprise security leadership roles at Duke Energy and North American Electric Reliability Corporation, working closely with federal, state and local partners on critical infrastructure protection and risk mitigation.
He holds advanced degrees in homeland security and education, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and professional certifications including Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Protection Professional (CPP).
A professional photo of Harrell is available for download on Flickr.
FirstEnergy Corp. is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than 6 million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
