PPL Corporation has promoted Francis X. Sullivan to executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective Jan. 1.

Sullivan succeeds Gregory N. Dudkin, who is on extended medical leave and not expected to return to PPL.

In his new position, Sullivan will report to PPL President and Chief Executive Officer Vincent Sorgi and oversee PPL’s regulated utility operations, with the presidents of PPL’s Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island utility companies reporting to him. Dudkin will remain executive vice president while on medical leave.

Sullivan brings more than four decades of energy industry experience to his new role. He joined PPL as vice president–Operations Performance on Oct. 1, 2021. Prior to PPL, he served as senior operations adviser for Kindle Energy LLC for more than two years and as an independent consultant to the power sector since 2018.