Press Releases
05/06/2021
AVANGRID Appoints Zsoka McDonald As Company’s First Chief Sustainability Officer
AVANGRID Appoints Zsoka McDonald As Company’s First Chief Sustainability Officer
Appointment reflects company commitment to driving business outcomes and delivering value through its environmental, social, governance and financial strategy
ORANGE, Conn. — May 6, 2021 —AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company, announced today that Zsoka McDonald has been appointed as the company’s first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications. In this role, McDonald will add oversight of the company’s sustainability strategy for AVANGRID to her existing responsibilities, with a focus on accelerating the company’s commitment to delivering sustainable value through its environmental, social, governance commitments and financial strength. She will also continue to lead internal and external communications for the company and will oversee the AVANGRID Foundation, the company’s primary philanthropic arm.
“Our business model is grounded in strong Environmental, Social, Governance and Financial (ESG+F) practices as a better and balanced way to do business – doing good by doing well for our customers, employees, communities and shareholders,” said Dennis V. Arriola, CEO of AVANGRID. “Zsoka’s deep understanding of our business as well as the larger challenges and opportunities facing our company and our industry around sustainability make her the right person to lead us in our efforts to meet out ambitious goals and elevate our position as an industry-leading, purpose-driven organization.”
As one of the cleanest U.S. utilities and a leader in renewable energy, AVANGRID has set industry-leading targets to reduce emissions and is investing in new technologies and innovations that will enable the clean energy transformation. With an installed capacity that is 90% emissions-free, and a goal to be Scope 1 Carbon Neutral by 2035, McDonald will drive the company’s strategy towards achievement of these goals and its broader forward-looking sustainability priorities.
“I am honored to step into this role to build on the important work that has already been accomplished and bring into focus the initiatives driving AVANGRID’s ESG+F strategy,” said McDonald. “This is a pivotal moment in the energy transition and we have an immense opportunity through the work we do to deliver clean and innovative energy solutions that have positive impact.”
McDonald joined AVANGRID in November 2018 as Vice President of Corporate Communications. With nearly 20 years of experience in highly regulated industries, consumer goods and retail, McDonald spent more than a decade in the alcohol beverage industry at Diageo, where she was Vice President of Corporate Communications for the company’s North American business.
McDonald holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
McDonald will continue to report to Arriola in her new role.
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About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $38 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 7,000 people and has been recognized by Forbes and Just Capital as one of the 2021 JUST 100 companies – a list of America’s best corporate citizens – and was ranked number one within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021 for the third consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $44 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2024, Avangrid ranked first among utilities and 12 overall. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2024 for the sixth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world's biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.
With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
