Avangrid Strengthens Executive Leadership with Key Appointments to Advance $20 Billion U.S. Grid Investment Plan
Avangrid, Inc., a prominent U.S. sustainable energy company and part of the global Iberdrola Group, has announced two major leadership appointments designed to support its ambitious investment and growth strategy across the United States. The company revealed that CEO Jose Antonio Miranda has appointed Joe Purington as Chief Executive Officer of Avangrid Networks and Sy Oytan as Chief Executive Officer of Avangrid Power. Both appointments are effective immediately.
The strategic move comes as Avangrid doubles down on its commitment to modernizing the U.S. energy grid and accelerating the nation’s transition to clean and renewable energy. The newly appointed executives bring decades of leadership and technical expertise in utility operations, energy infrastructure, and renewable project development.
Building on Leadership Strength for a Resilient Energy Future
“As Avangrid looks to the future and works to deliver on our plan to invest $20 billion in the U.S. grid by the end of the decade, I believe Joe and Sy have the right combination of skill and experience to continue building on Avangrid’s forward momentum,” said Jose Antonio Miranda, CEO of Avangrid. “These new leadership appointments represent the strength of the leadership team we have built at Avangrid and reaffirm our ongoing commitment to deliver an innovative, reliable, and resilient energy future.”
This leadership reshuffle represents a continuation of a broader transformation within Avangrid’s executive structure, catalyzed by recent developments at the parent company, Iberdrola. In June 2025, Iberdrola S.A. appointed Pedro Azagra, the former CEO of Avangrid, to serve as the new CEO of the global energy giant. The appointment was made by Iberdrola Executive Chairman Ignacio Galán and the Iberdrola Board of Directors, reflecting Azagra’s successful leadership in the North American market.
With Azagra’s transition to the helm of Iberdrola, Miranda, a long-time executive within the Iberdrola Group, was named CEO of Avangrid. To further strengthen leadership continuity, Kimberly Harriman, who has held numerous key positions within the energy sector, was appointed Deputy CEO of Avangrid shortly thereafter. These leadership changes are part of Iberdrola’s strategy to align global and regional leadership for maximum operational efficiency and vision execution.
Joe Purington to Lead Avangrid Networks
With over 28 years of experience in the energy sector, Joe Purington brings a wealth of operational expertise and strategic acumen to his new role as CEO of Avangrid Networks. His career began at Central Maine Power (CMP), a subsidiary of Avangrid, where he held various roles of increasing responsibility.
In 2021, Purington was named President and CEO of CMP, leading critical improvements in customer service, operational reliability, and regulatory coordination. His tenure has been marked by efforts to modernize grid infrastructure, enhance responsiveness to extreme weather events, and integrate distributed energy resources.
In 2023, Purington’s portfolio was expanded to include oversight of Avangrid Networks’ shared services. These included Planning & Regulatory, Customer Service, Operations, Gas, and Business Development. Under his leadership, these functions were streamlined to enhance collaboration, efficiency, and customer outcomes.
In his new capacity as CEO of Avangrid Networks, Purington will oversee the full suite of Avangrid’s utility operating companies, which collectively serve over 3.3 million electric and natural gas customers across New York, Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. Reporting directly to Purington will be Trish Nilsen, CEO of New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E), and Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG), Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG), United Illuminating (UI), and Berkshire Gas Company (BGC).
Purington’s deep roots in the Northeast energy landscape and proven track record in utility leadership make him a logical choice to lead the company’s regulated operations. His role will be critical in advancing grid modernization initiatives, implementing smart grid technologies, and preparing Avangrid’s networks for the next generation of energy consumption and distribution.
Sy Oytan to Lead Avangrid Power
As the newly appointed CEO of Avangrid Power, Sy Oytan will be responsible for managing the company’s expansive renewable energy generation portfolio, which includes wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, and natural gas-fired combined cycle power plants. His appointment signals Avangrid’s intention to further expand its renewable capacity, especially in the offshore wind sector, where it holds one of the most significant project pipelines in the U.S.
Oytan joined Avangrid in 2020 and has held several leadership roles, most recently serving as the company’s Chief Operating Officer for Offshore Wind. In this role, he oversaw the planning, construction, and delivery of Avangrid’s offshore wind projects, including landmark initiatives such as the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts—the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S.
Before joining Avangrid, Oytan held senior positions at a range of international energy companies and engineering firms, including Arup, Siemens Gamesa, and Schlumberger. Throughout his career, he has amassed over 24 years of global experience in the development, construction, and operation of more than 10 gigawatts (GW) of energy assets. His work has spanned multiple continents and technologies, demonstrating his versatility and depth of expertise.
Oytan’s educational background reflects a global perspective and technical rigor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey, a master’s degree in industrial management from Clemson University in South Carolina, and executive education credentials in business administration from Yale University and INSEAD.
As CEO of Avangrid Power, Oytan will lead all of the company’s unregulated generation businesses. His mandate includes scaling renewable energy production, managing operational efficiency, and driving innovation in energy storage, grid integration, and clean technology deployment. His leadership will also be instrumental in navigating regulatory landscapes, forming industry partnerships, and securing supply chains for critical components, especially in the context of global economic volatility and clean energy demand.
Supporting a Vision for Sustainable Energy Transformation
With these two appointments, Avangrid is reinforcing its dual-core business model: regulated utility operations and unregulated renewable energy generation. This structure enables the company to support day-to-day energy reliability for millions of customers while also pursuing longer-term transformation toward a low-carbon future.
Avangrid’s planned $20 billion investment into the U.S. grid infrastructure is one of the most ambitious in the sector. It encompasses major grid hardening efforts, transmission modernization, and the integration of more distributed renewable resources, electric vehicles, and smart grid systems. The appointments of Purington and Oytan will play a pivotal role in executing these plans efficiently and equitably.
With strong leadership at both the Networks and Power divisions, Avangrid is well-positioned to drive forward its clean energy strategy, support economic growth in the communities it serves, and contribute meaningfully to national and global climate goals.
