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Episode 2: Pedro Pizarro – Strength in Diversity

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Host: Marco A. Davis, CHCI President and CEO
Guest: Pedro J. Pizarro, President and CEO, Edison International

On this episode of “Here to Lead,” Marco Davis talks with Pedro Pizarro, President andCEO of Edison International, the parent company of one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, about how his values and Latino perspective have shaped his life of service, both within the corporate world and advising government leaders, and the need for diverse leaders and a cooperative global response to solve today’s most pressing challenges, including COVID-19 and climate change.

Pedro J. Pizarro is president and chief executive officer of Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. Edison International is also the parent company of Edison Energy, a portfolio of competitive businesses providing commercial and industrial customers with energy management and procurement services. He is a member of Edison International’s board of directors.

Pizarro served as president of SCE from October 2014 through May 2016, when he was elected president of Edison International. He was elected chief executive officer in October 2016. Previously, Pizarro was president of Edison Mission Energy (EME) and chaired its board of directors from 2011 until the sale of its assets to NRG Energy in April 2014. EME, a subsidiary of Edison International at the time, was an independent power producer that owned, leased, operated and sold energy and capacity from electric power generation facilities and engaged in hedging and energy trading activities in competitive power markets. Pizarro joined Edison International in 1999, moved to SCE in 2001 and progressed through several leadership roles before joining EME.

Before his work at Edison International and SCE, Pizarro was a senior engagement manager with McKinsey & Company in Los Angeles providing management consulting services to energy, technology, engineering services and banking clients. There, he developed corporate strategy, handled mergers and acquisitions and oversaw operational and organizational engagements. Pizarro earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and held National Science Foundation and Department of Defense graduate fellowships. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Harvard University.

Pizarro has served on the Electric Power Research Institute’s board of directors since 2016 and became chair of the board in April 2020. He was also elected as a vice chairman for Edison Electric Institute in June 2020. He serves on the boards of Argonne National Laboratory and Caltech. He has served on the boards of Electric Power Supply Association, California Power Exchange, Colburn School, House Research Institute, Southern California Leadership Council and Western Energy Institute.

Pizarro represents the electric industry on the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) and co-chairs the SEAB Innovation Working Group. The SEAB provides advice and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Energy on energy policy, research and development and economic and national security policy. Pizarro serves on the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, which is the principal liaison between the federal government and the electric power industry to prepare for and respond to national-level disasters or threats to critical infrastructure. Currently, Pizarro also serves on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Task Force on Business & Jobs Recovery.

Pedro J. Pizarro