Through company mergers, customer growth and critical regulatory, operational and financial developments, Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Regulatory Affairs and Chief Legal Officer Leila Vespoli has helped guide FirstEnergy. Her leadership, outstanding career achievements and contributions are featured in the latest issue of Modern Counsel, a magazine showcasing today’s most influential legal minds.

Throughout the article, Leila’s business partners share their thoughts about her accomplishments.

“I can’t emphasize enough how impressive Leila is as a lawyer and a businessperson,” said Robert Blackham, chairman of Roetzel & Andress, which has been one of Leila’s business partners for years. “She’s versatile, innovative and forward-thinking, and she manages her office with integrity and professionalism.”

For Leila, managing multiple corporate functions in a considerable number of significant areas of FirstEnergy is a result of her strategic focus and deep understanding of the company, the electric utility industry and business – not only the complex legal intricacies. “I’ve always practiced that over my career,” Leila noted in the article. “I think that’s what, over time, gave the then-existing senior management the comfort that I could handle the additional roles and responsibilities they were giving me.”

Career Milestones

In her current role, Leila is responsible for Corporate Strategy and Long-Term Planning; Business Development; Federal, State and Local Governmental Affairs; Economic Development; and Rates. She also works closely with FirstEnergy’s Board of Directors and is knowledgeable about current governance practices and requirements.

Her previous roles included heading the Corporate Department, which included responsibility over corporate governance, and briefly serving as Interim Ethics Officer.

She has received a number of honors, including the Outstanding Women in the Legal Profession award by the New York County Lawyers Association, The Pioneer Woman of the Year Award by the Summit County Historical Society, The Ohio Diversity Council’s Most Powerful and Influential Women Award and The University of Akron’s Honorary Alumni Award.