Edison International and Southern California Edison Appoint M. Susan Hardwick as Independent Director
Edison International (NYSE: EIX) and Southern California Edison have announced the appointment of M. Susan Hardwick as an independent director on the boards of both companies, effective immediately. Her election reflects a strategic move to strengthen governance oversight and deepen expertise in regulated utility operations, financial management, and long-term infrastructure planning across both organizations.
Hardwick brings more than 35 years of experience spanning the regulated utilities sector, energy services, and professional advisory roles. Over the course of her career, she has held senior leadership positions as both a chief executive officer and a chief financial officer in publicly traded companies. Her professional background is widely recognized for combining operational leadership with strong financial discipline, particularly in complex, capital-intensive industries such as water, electricity, and gas utilities.
Most recently, Hardwick served as chief executive officer of American Water Works Company, Inc., the largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility in the United States. She held that role from 2022 until her retirement from executive management in May 2025. During her tenure as CEO, she oversaw significant capital investment programs aimed at modernizing infrastructure, improving system resiliency, and ensuring the long-term reliability of water and wastewater services across multiple regulated jurisdictions. Her leadership also emphasized disciplined execution of long-term strategic initiatives and strengthening operational performance across the enterprise.
Prior to serving as chief executive officer, Hardwick held several key leadership positions at American Water Works Company, including president, executive vice president, and chief financial officer. In these roles, she was responsible for guiding the company’s financial strategy, overseeing enterprise-wide budgeting and capital allocation, and managing financial reporting and investor relations. She also played a central role in shaping the company’s long-term investment planning and regulatory engagement strategy, particularly in relation to state-level utility commissions and infrastructure investment approvals.
Before joining American Water, Hardwick spent nearly two decades at Vectren Corporation, a regulated electric and natural gas utility holding company. During her tenure at Vectren, she advanced through a series of increasingly senior roles in finance and executive leadership. Her responsibilities included oversight of financial planning and analysis, corporate accounting, treasury operations, and strategic planning. This long tenure provided her with deep exposure to the operational and regulatory complexities of the electric and gas utility industry, as well as experience managing stakeholder expectations in a highly regulated environment.
Earlier in her career, Hardwick worked as a senior manager at Arthur Andersen & Co., where she developed a foundation in accounting, auditing, and financial advisory services. She later transitioned into corporate finance roles at Cinergy Corporation, further expanding her experience in the utility sector. Across these roles, she built a strong technical and managerial foundation in financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance.
In announcing her appointment, Edison International highlighted the value of Hardwick’s extensive background in regulated utility leadership. Peter J. Taylor, chair of the Edison International board of directors, noted that her experience navigating complex operational, financial, and regulatory environments will be a strong asset to the board. He emphasized that her expertise in capital investment strategy, enterprise risk management, and long-term infrastructure development aligns closely with the company’s priorities, particularly in areas such as safety, reliability, and disciplined execution of capital programs.
Edison International leadership also underscored the importance of her customer-focused and regulatory-informed perspective. Pedro J. Pizarro, president and chief executive officer of Edison International, stated that Hardwick’s career demonstrates a strong combination of financial expertise and a deep understanding of customer needs and regulatory frameworks. He added that her insights will support the company’s ongoing efforts to deliver energy services that are affordable, reliable, resilient, and increasingly aligned with clean energy objectives for the communities served by Southern California Edison.
Hardwick’s appointment comes at a time when electric utilities are managing significant transitions, including modernization of aging infrastructure, integration of renewable energy sources, and increasing focus on grid resilience in response to climate-related risks. Her experience leading large-scale capital investment programs and overseeing regulated utility operations is expected to contribute to board-level discussions on long-term strategy, risk oversight, and capital planning.
Throughout her career at American Water Works Company, Hardwick was closely involved in expanding the company’s regulated asset base through acquisitions of water and wastewater systems across multiple states. She also helped advance enterprise-wide capital planning frameworks designed to support sustained infrastructure renewal and improve service reliability. These initiatives required close coordination with regulatory bodies, financial stakeholders, and operational teams, reflecting her ability to manage complex, multi-dimensional utility systems.
In addition to her executive experience, Hardwick has maintained active involvement in corporate governance through board service. She currently serves on the boards of Core & Main, Inc., a distributor of water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products; Tetra Tech, Inc., a consulting and engineering services firm; and New Jersey Resources Corporation, a diversified energy services holding company. These board roles further extend her exposure to infrastructure-related industries and regulated energy markets.
Hardwick holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). Her academic background in accounting, combined with her extensive executive leadership experience, has contributed to her reputation as a financially disciplined and operationally informed leader within the utility sector.
With her appointment to the boards of Edison International and Southern California Edison, Hardwick is expected to contribute to oversight of strategic initiatives related to energy transition, infrastructure investment, risk management, and regulatory engagement. Her experience across water, electric, and gas utilities positions her to provide a broad perspective on utility operations and long-term capital-intensive planning in an evolving energy landscape.
Source Link: https://www.businesswire.com/
