Middlesex Water Company, a water utility operating in New Jersey and Delaware, has announced that Nadine Leslie will serve as its new president and CEO, effective March 1, 2024.
Leslie joins Middlesex following a comprehensive search for a successor to outgoing president and CEO Dennis W. Doll, who will retire from the company February 29, 2024. Ms. Leslie will also be appointed to the Board of Directors effective March 1, 2024.
Leslie previously served as CEO of SUEZ North America from 2019 to 2022. In this capacity, she was responsible for overseeing one of North America’s leading environmental companies, with revenues over $1.1 billion, providing water and recycling and recovery services to 6.6 million people in the United States and Canada. The scope of her responsibilities included 15 regulated water utilities, 65 municipal contracts through innovative public-private partnerships and the long-term asset management contracts for water storage facilities, serving more than 4,000 municipal and industrial clients.
Prior to her appointment as CEO of SUEZ North America, Leslie served as executive vice president - Health & Safety for the Paris-based SUEZ Group. In this capacity, she was responsible for directing and providing Health & Safety oversight to all business units of the group. She also led the development and implementation of behavior-based safety practices, audited Health and Safety procedure implementation and compliance consistent with corporate and regulatory requirements and monitored the effectiveness of safety control measures used throughout SUEZ business units around the world.
Leslie has more than 25 years of industry experience in operations, management, compliance, client relations and due diligence. Since joining the SUEZ North America team in 2000, she has held leadership positions of increasing responsibility within the company’s regulated, contract and corporate segments.
"I am thrilled to join the Middlesex Water Company team and grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me by the Middlesex Board of Directors” said Leslie. “I am confident with the support of our talented team and Board members, we will navigate challenges, capitalize on opportunities and create additional value for our customers and shareholders. Congratulations to Dennis on his successful tenure and I look forward to working with him during the transition period.”
Doll will remain Chairman of the Middlesex Board of Directors through the expiration of his current term at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 21, 2024. Mr. Doll has also entered into a consulting agreement with the Company to aid in a seamless transfer of leadership. The consulting agreement is effective commensurate with Mr. Doll’s retirement and expires May 21, 2024.
“I and the rest of the Middlesex Board of Directors are thrilled to have Nadine join our company. Her breadth of knowledge and experience bring a fresh perspective to the numerous opportunities and challenges facing our company and our industry,” said Doll. “The search committee of our Board of Directors led a very comprehensive and thoughtful recruiting process to ensure we could identify a leader to further the Company’s mission to provide operational and financial excellence.”
