Essential Utilities has appointed Vice President and Chief Information Officer Whitney Kellett to lead its $143 million service improvement project following the retirement of former Senior Vice President, Business Transformation Ruth DeLost-Wylie. The next phase of the project, which began in 2020, will continue under Kellett’s leadership. As part of its succession planning, the company also announced that Kellett will assume the role of chief administrative officer later in 2023.

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Essential Utilities appoints Whitney Kellett to head SIP project and assume chief administrative officer role in 2023. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Whitney is a valuable member of our leadership team and has significantly advanced the company’s IT capabilities, building feature-rich platforms on both the administrative and operations sides of the business,” said Essential Utilities Chairman and CEO Chris Franklin. “Sound IT infrastructure is as important to businesses today as our operations infrastructure. The contributions and leadership capabilities she has demonstrated at the company have been significant and I look forward to her continued success in her new roles.”

Kellett is a veteran IT executive who specializes in strategic planning and execution. She has held technology positions in a variety of industries including financial services, global transportation, manufacturing, clinical research, commercial real estate, insurance, private equity, energy and utilities. Prior to joining Essential Utilities in 2016, Kellett was Chief Information Officer at Atlas Energy, LLC, a publicly traded, E&P energy company.

Kellett earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia and is currently pursuing an executive MBA at Villanova University.

She serves on the Board of Trustees at The Woodlynde School and is a member of the Forum of Executive Women. She co-chaired Essential Utilities’ United Way campaigns in 2019 and 2020 as well as co-chaired a $10M capital campaign for St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA.

Kellett was a finalist in each of the last five years for Philadelphia CIO of the Year in the Large Enterprise category by the Philly CIO Leadership Association.

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