Maria M. Pope is the CEO of Portland General Electric, where she has been steering the company since January 2018. With a solid background in finance and operations, she joined Portland General Electric in 2009 and quickly climbed the ranks,...

Maria M. Pope is the CEO of Portland General Electric, where she has been steering the company since January 2018. With a solid background in finance and operations, she joined Portland General Electric in 2009 and quickly climbed the ranks, having previously served as the CFO. Before her time at Portland General, Maria was the CFO at Mentor Graphics Corporation, a software firm, and held a leadership role in the wood products industry at Pope & Talbot. During her leadership, Maria has faced challenges, including periods of tough financial performance that impacted her bonuses and stock awards. Interestingly, in 2022, her total compensation was $6.3 million, which included no cash bonuses, and the company did not meet its performance targets. Despite these hurdles, she remains focused on aligning executive pay with the company's success. Maria actively engages with the company's board and ensures that performance metrics reflect both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Her journey reflects resilience in the utility sector, emphasizing that leadership can come from both triumphs and struggles.