American Electric Power Company, Inc. announced that Benjamin G.S. Fowke III, a member of the company's Board of Directors and the former chairman and CEO of Xcel Energy, Inc., has been appointed interim chief executive officer. Fowke succeeds Julie A. Sloat. Fowke has been a member of AEP's Board since February 2022, and was chairman and CEO of Xcel for more than a decade until his retirement as CEO in August 2021.

He remained executive chairman of the XcelBoard until December 2021. Fowke held a variety of leadership roles at Xcel including chief operating officer and chief financial officer. Fowke has a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting from Towson University and obtained his CPA in 1982.

He is on the Board of Securian Financial and Energy Insurance Mutual and former chair of the Board of Edison Electric Institute.