Principal Solar Inc., a publicly traded solar energy holding company executing a roll-up strategy to create the world’s first distributed solar utility, has appointment Erle Nye, chairman emeritus of TXU Corp.; James W. Keyes, chairman of Key Development LLC and former CEO and chairman of Blockbuster Inc. and former president and CEO of 7-Eleven; and Jim Young, consultant, speaker and leadership veteran at EDS for more than 34 years to its advisory board.
“We are pleased to welcome these distinguished individuals who have achieved the highest levels of leadership and respect in their fields and will guide PSI to expand its market presence,” said Michael Gorton, PSI CEO and chairman. “Their collective wealth of knowledge, business acumen and strategic thinking are expected to drive results across the board.”
Prior to becoming chairman emeritus of TXU Corp., Nye served at TXU Corp. in positions including chairman of the board, CEO and president. In addition, he served as chairman of the board of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and co-chaired the CEO Task Force on Critical Infrastructure Protection. He is past chairman of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) board of directors, North American Electric Reliability Council, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Nuclear Energy Institute. Nye was appointed chairman of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council by President George Bush in 2008 and served on the advisory committee to the President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection and on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Electric System Reliability Task Force.
Keyes is renowned for his leadership at Blockbuster Inc. and 7-Eleven Inc., where his innovations enabled the company to experience record sales and profits. In addition, he implemented new retail systems technology that improved product assortment decisions in every store and ushered in a new era for 7-Eleven through the introduction of electronic services. Prior to serving as president and CEO, Keyes held positions at 7-Eleven, including CFO, executive vice president and COO. Keyes retired from 7-Eleven upon the sale of the company in 2005. Previously he worked for Gulf Oil and in 1985 joined Citgo Petroleum, which was then a subsidiary of 7-Eleven Inc.
Young served as chairman of Teleportec, providers of advanced video conferencing. In 1965 Young joined EDS, one of the nation’s largest multinational information technology equipment and services companies, where he served as a systems engineer, worked in sales and marketing and managed corporate communications and strategic planning. At EDS he is recognized for leading special projects for the corporation, including the JASON Project, the world’s premier distance-learning program.
