Chris Womack Is Now CEO Of Southern Company, Among Few Blacks Overseeing Nation’s Largest Publicly-Traded Corporations

Chris Womack has officially become president and CEO of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest energy providers.

His appointment makes Womack among a few Black chief executives leading one of the 500 largest U.S.-based publicly traded corporations. His appointment is a big deal given that the number of Black CEOs has reportedly declined from nearly 20 in recent years. Pressure continues on corporate America to boost the number of Blacks in C-suite positions.

The Atlanta-based company announced earlier Womack was appointed president of Southern and elected as a member of its board of directors. The business declared Womack was appointed the gas and electric utility holding company’s CEO following the end of its 2023 annual meeting on May 24.

Womack previously was chairman, president, and CEO of Georgia Power, the Southern Company’s largest subsidiary. Before that, he was executive vice president and president of external affairs for Southern Company.

A Greenville, Alabama, native, Womack joined Southern Company in 1988 and has held several leadership positions within the company and its subsidiaries. His roles have included serving as executive vice president of external affairs at Georgia Power and senior vice president and senior production officer of Southern Company Generation, overseeing coal, gas, and hydro generation for Georgia Power and Savannah Electric.

Womack was senior vice president of human resources and chief people officer at Southern Company, as well as senior vice president of public relations and corporate services at Alabama Power.

In an exclusive interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE, Womack discussed his corporate achievement.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring honor to lead this wonderful company that provides an incredible service and being able to work with an incredible team to address all the challenges that face the energy industry and bring Southern Company to the future.”