CMS Energy Adds Utility, Retail Executives to Strengthen Governance and Operational Expertise

Board Additions Reflect Governance and Operational Focus

CMS Energy names two seasoned executives to its corporate and Consumers Energy boards, signaling a push to deepen operational and regulated-utility expertise on its governing bodies. Diane Leopold, retired executive vice president and chief operating officer of Dominion Energy, and Richard Keyes, president and CEO of Meijer, join the boards effective Feb. 20, 2026. The company highlights their committee roles and long-tenured industry experience as relevant to its utility operations and customer-facing strategy.

New directors bring regulated-utility and retail operations depth

CMS Energy is elevating governance expertise that aligns with long-term utility priorities by adding Leopold and Keyes to its board and the Consumers Energy board. Leopold brings more than three decades in regulated utilities, rising to co-chief operating officer at Dominion in 2019 and serving as executive vice president and COO in 2020. Her engineering and business background, and prior board service at nVent Electric, Markel Group and the Atlantic Council, are expected to inform discussions on grid reliability, infrastructure investments and operational resilience. She is assigned to the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and the Finance Committee for both CMS Energy and Consumers Energy, positioning her to influence workforce strategy and capital allocation decisions.

Keyes contributes more than 35 years of operational, supply chain and retail leadership from Meijer, where he becomes CEO in 2017 after roles across pharmacy, retail operations and manufacturing. His appointment to the Audit Committee and the Governance, Sustainability and Public Responsibility Committee brings private-sector supply chain and customer service perspective to utility oversight. CMS Energy signals that his experience in large-scale retail operations and stakeholder management is useful as utilities expand customer programs, distribution modernization and community engagement.

The combined appointments are framed as strengthening board capacity to oversee the company’s regulated utility business and independent power generation units. CMS Energy emphasizes committee assignments that place Leopold and Keyes at the intersection of finance, human capital, governance and sustainability — areas critical to utilities navigating decarbonization, electrification and evolving regulatory expectations.

Other relevant details

Leopold holds a B.S. in electrical and mechanical engineering from the University of Sussex, an M.S. in electrical engineering from George Washington University and an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Keyes holds a B.S. in pharmacy from Ohio Northern University and serves on several industry and regional boards including Business Leaders for Michigan and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago–Detroit Branch.

CMS Energy, based in Michigan, operates Consumers Energy as its primary electric and natural gas utility and also owns independent power generation businesses. The company presents the board changes as part of ongoing governance renewal ahead of utility industry transitions.