Katie Aittola: Duke's New Supply Chain & Procurement Leader

Duke Energy has announced that Katie Aittola will assume the roles of Chief Procurement Officer and Senior Vice President of Supply Chain & Real Estate from 1 January 2026.

The appointment comes as the Charlotte-based utility undertakes what executives describe as the largest generation build in the company's history.

Katie is set to replace Dwight Jacobs, who is retiring after 23 years with the Fortune 150 company.

A smooth handover will be a essential for Duke, as it looks to see through its energy transition strategy across its US territories.

Katie's cross-functional experience

Katie currently serves as Duke's Chief Risk Officer, as well as its SVP for Enterprise Strategy & Insurance.

Her tenure in the combined risk and strategy role has involved leading what the company characterises as transformative initiatives reshaping its risk posture and strategic direction.

Since joining Duke Energy in 2009, she has held various positions within the organisation, including corporate development and financial planning and analysis.

Perhaps most pertinently for her role, Katie led Duke's risk, governance and business support functions across the company's supply chain operations, which she will now wholly oversee.

Bonnie Titone, who is EVP and Chief Administrative Officer at Duke, has emphasised the breadth of experience that Katie will bring to the new position.

"Katie brings to the role a depth of experience with strategic planning, operational transformation and enterprise leadership," Bonnie explains.

"She is a true cross-functional leader and well positioned to oversee these operations, which are crucial to our success as we undertake the largest generation build in our company's history."

How Duke Energy has navigated supply chain pressures and the demand for sustainability

The new role encompasses sourcing and supply chain functions across the enterprise, alongside oversight of real estate operations including strategic planning, transactions and facilities management.

Under Dwight's leadership, Duke's supply chain operations gained recognition as industry-leading, all while navigating what executives described as a dynamic and unprecedented operating environment.

The utility sector has been up against some tough supply chain challenges in recent years, with long lead times for major equipment, material cost inflation and global manufacturing constraints affecting project delivery timelines.

But Duke has grown in spite of these obstacles, boasting a generation fleet that now comprises 55,100 MW of capacity and serving around 8.6 million electric customers across its US operations.

The company is simultaneously investing in grid upgrades while expanding its generation portfolio to include natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

This multi-faceted build programme places particular demands on procurement and supply chain operations to secure materials and equipment across diverse technology platforms.

Continuity and legacy considerations

Though Duke has found the ideal replacement in Katie, Bonnie and the team have spoken about the importance of Dwight Jacobs' work across his 23 years at Duke.

"I am thankful for Dwight's significant contributions throughout his tenure," she says.

"In addition to his impacts within our business and industry, his mentorship of emerging leaders, commitment to volunteerism and philanthropic efforts in support of our communities have established a legacy that will endure for years to come."

Katie, who lives in Davidson, North Carolina, with her husband Henrik and two daughters, frames her approach to the role around stakeholder value delivery.

"As we continue to transform the future of energy, delivering business outcomes that move our company forward and deliver value for our many stakeholders remains my focus," she says.

"Our supply chain, real estate and procurement functions are essential enablers of our business strategy and have demonstrated their best-in-class skills as they responded to an extraordinary external environment during a critical time of our energy modernisation journey."