Carsten Poppinga to become Uniper's new CCO, Michael Lewis to take over as CEO on 1 July
Carsten Poppinga succeeds Niek den Hollander, who leaves Uniper
Niek den Hollander will leave Uniper as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at his own request. In his place, Carsten Poppinga will take over the commercial department at Uniper on 1 October, Uniper said in its media release.
Niek den Hollander, whose contract expires at the end of May, has agreed to continue in his position until 31 July, thus ensuring the best possible transition to Carsten Poppinga. Niek den Hollander has been CCO of Uniper since June 2020 and is thus head of the global energy trading business.
Carsten Poppinga is a mathematician and currently works as Senior Vice President Trading & Origination at the energy trading company Statkraft Markets GmbH in Düsseldorf, a subsidiary of the Norwegian Statkraft AS, where he manages European and US energy trading. Carsten Poppinga also gained international trading experience as Managing Director at the Austrian OMV Trading. A native of Germany, he lives in Düsseldorf with his wife and two sons.
It was also announced that the company's CEO designate, Michael Lewis, will take office on 1 July. Lewis comes from E.ON, where he is CEO of the company’s UK business. Uniper had already reported on the personnel matter on 1 March. Until Michael Lewis takes office, the responsibilities of the CEO will be assumed by Uniper’s Chief Financial Officer, Jutta Dönges, and Chief Operating Officer, Holger Kreetz.
Düsseldorf-based Uniper is an international energy company with activities in more than 40 countries. With around 7,000 employees, it makes an important contribution to security of supply in Europe. Uniper’s core businesses are power generation in Europe, global energy trading, and a broad gas portfolio. Uniper procures gas – including liquefied natural gas (LNG) – and other energy sources on global markets. The company owns and operates gas storage facilities with a capacity of more than 7 billion cubic meters. Uniper plans for its 22.5 GW of installed power-generating capacity in Europe to be carbon-neutral by 2035. The company already ranks among Europe’s largest operators of hydroelectric plants and intends to further expand solar and wind energy, which are essential for a more sustainable and autonomous future.