Edison CEO Bryson Retiring In 2008; Craver Stepping Up

Oct 29, 2007 (The Energy Daily/Access Intelligence via COMTEX) -- EIX | charts | news | PowerRating -- John Bryson, one of the longest-serving utility executives in the country as head of Edison International for 17 years, will retire as president and chief executive officer of the California utility giant next summer, to be replaced by Theodore Craver, currently head of Edison Mission Group, the company's merchant generation arm.

In a statement Thursday, Bryson, 64, underlined Craver's leadership as chief financial officer of the company during the California energy crisis of 2000-2001, when the state's other major investor-owned utility, PG&E Corp., fell into bankruptcy.

"Ted has served our company exceptionally well both as the chief financial officer during particularly challenging times and as the leader over the past three years of our competitive power generation business," Bryson said. "I am highly confident that he will provide strong and effective leadership as the CEO of our company when he succeeds to that position next year."

Craver takes over with Edison's utility subsidiary, Southern California Edison, facing major challenges to meet the state's greenhouse gas reduction and renewable energy deployment requirements.

Bryson will officially step down July 31, and Craver will become president of the Rosemead, Calif.-based company on April 1, the company said.

Prior to taking over Edison Mission, Craver was executive vice president of Edison International and held the position of chief financial officer and treasurer since January 2000.

Before joining Edison in September 1996, Craver served as executive vice president and corporate treasurer of First Interstate Bancorp from 1991 to 1996. Previously, he spent four years with Bankers Trust Co. of New York and seven years with Security Pacific National Bank in various capital markets sales and trading capacities.

Bryson joined Edison in 1984 and was elected chairman and CEO of Edison International in 1990. From 1990 through 2000, he also served as chairman and CEO of Southern California Edison.

Before joining Edison, Bryson served as president of the California Public Utilities Commission from 1979 to 1982, and prior to that he was chairman of the California State Water Resources Control Board.

Earlier, Bryson co-founded and served as an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, a leading national environmental organization.

The Energy Daily, Vol. 35, No. 207

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