Westinghouse Appoints Dayan Abeyaratne as Chief Commercial Officer
Westinghouse Electric Company has announced the appointment of Dayan Abeyaratne as its new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), strengthening the company’s commercial leadership as it pursues the global expansion of nuclear power generation. In his new position, Abeyaratne will oversee global new nuclear plant dealmaking, strategic transactions and external affairs, supporting Westinghouse’s efforts to advance large-scale nuclear energy deployment across international markets.
The appointment comes as governments, utilities and industrial organizations increasingly consider nuclear power as part of their long-term energy strategies. Rising electricity consumption, growing demand from energy-intensive industries and concerns about energy security have increased interest in dependable, low-carbon electricity generation. Westinghouse intends to build on its established nuclear technology portfolio and extensive project pipeline to support this changing energy landscape.
As Chief Commercial Officer, Abeyaratne will play a central role in developing and executing the company’s global commercial strategy. His responsibilities will include working closely with Westinghouse’s global new plant business to identify commercial opportunities, establish strategic relationships and advance negotiations for major nuclear power projects.
He will oversee the origination, structuring, negotiation and execution of complex commercial transactions involving a broad range of international stakeholders. These include utilities, U.S. federal agencies, foreign governments, hyperscalers, industrial customers and strategic investors. His responsibilities will also extend to managing Westinghouse’s global Corporate Affairs function, bringing commercial development and external engagement together under his leadership.
Westinghouse President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Sumner said Abeyaratne’s experience in the energy industry and complex financial transactions would support the company’s commercial and strategic priorities.
Sumner highlighted the importance of working with customers, governments and business partners to advance new nuclear developments around the world. He also expressed confidence that Abeyaratne would contribute to the company’s efforts to deliver reliable energy supplies as electricity demand continues to increase.
The leadership appointment reflects the importance of commercial expertise in bringing large-scale nuclear projects from initial development through negotiations and execution. Nuclear power developments typically involve long planning periods, substantial capital requirements, regulatory coordination and cooperation among multiple public- and private-sector participants. Experience in mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, corporate development and energy markets is therefore relevant to the commercial responsibilities associated with these projects.
Abeyaratne brings more than 25 years of professional experience across investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, power markets and corporate development. His background includes senior leadership positions at several established financial institutions and energy companies, where he worked on strategic transactions and advisory assignments involving the power and utilities sector.
Before joining Westinghouse, Abeyaratne served as a Partner and Head of North America Power & Utilities Mergers and Acquisitions and Advisory at PJT Partners in New York City. In that position, he was involved in advising clients on significant transactions and strategic opportunities across the North American energy and utilities markets.
His previous experience also includes managing director positions in the power and utilities businesses at The Blackstone Group and UBS Investment Bank. These roles provided additional exposure to investment activities, financial structuring and strategic developments within the energy industry.
Earlier in his career, Abeyaratne led corporate development at Constellation Energy, contributing experience from within the operating energy sector. His professional career began in investment banking at Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital, where he developed a foundation in financial markets and transaction advisory services.
This combination of investment banking and corporate energy experience is expected to support his responsibilities at Westinghouse, particularly as the company engages with international governments, utilities, investors and industrial customers. His experience in North American power and utilities markets may also contribute to the company’s efforts to develop relationships with organizations seeking long-term nuclear generation solutions.
Abeyaratne holds a Master of Business Administration from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Allegheny College.
Westinghouse’s Global Nuclear Energy Business
Westinghouse provides nuclear technologies, products and services intended to support electricity generation, energy security and the development of nuclear power infrastructure worldwide. Its business covers several stages of the nuclear energy lifecycle, including reactor design, new plant deployment, nuclear fuel manufacturing, maintenance and modernization of existing facilities, and the development of advanced nuclear technologies.
Founded in 1886, Westinghouse has a long history in the electricity industry. The company contributed to the development of electrical technologies during the industrial era and later became an important participant in the commercial development of nuclear power.
A significant milestone in its history came in 1957, when Westinghouse pioneered commercial pressurized water reactor technology with the launch of the first commercial pressurized water reactor. This technology subsequently became an important part of the global nuclear power industry.
Today, Westinghouse technology is used in approximately 57% of nuclear power plants worldwide. The company also maintains nearly two-thirds of the global nuclear fleet and supplies fuel for approximately 40% of operating nuclear power plants. These activities provide the company with an established international presence across reactor technology, fuel supply and long-term plant services.
Westinghouse’s activities extend beyond supporting existing nuclear facilities. The company is also focused on developing and deploying advanced reactor technologies and expanding its new-build project pipeline. Its commercial strategy includes working with governments, utilities and other industry participants to identify opportunities for new nuclear generation capacity.
The company views nuclear power as an important resource for meeting increasing electricity requirements while supporting economic development and strengthening national energy security. Nuclear generation can provide continuous electricity production, making it relevant to power systems that must accommodate growing industrial consumption, expanding digital infrastructure and changing electricity demand patterns.
The appointment of Abeyaratne adds senior commercial leadership as Westinghouse pursues these opportunities. His responsibilities across global transactions, new plant business development and Corporate Affairs will place him at the center of the company’s engagement with prospective customers and strategic partners.
With an established nuclear technology portfolio, a substantial international operating presence and one of the industry’s largest new-build pipelines, Westinghouse continues to position itself as a major participant in the global expansion of nuclear energy. Abeyaratne’s appointment is intended to strengthen the commercial capabilities supporting that strategy as the company works with stakeholders to advance new nuclear projects across international markets.
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