Shares in National Grid PLC (LSE:NG.) fell 1% as the retirement of chief executive John Pettigrew was announced after almost 10 years in the role.
Zoë Yujnovich, former Shell PLC (LSE:SHEL, NYSE:SHEL) gas and upstream director, has been appointed chief executive designate from September.
It is Yujnovich's first role as group CEO, although she was a member of FTSE 100 giant Shell's executive committee in her previous role, and before that was a divisional CEO at another blue chip, Rio Tinto Ltd (LSE:RIO, ASX:RIO, OTC:RTNTF), heading its Canadian iron ore business. She has further recent board experience as a recent non-executive director appointment at Unilever.
She left Shell in March.
National Grid said: "Following a comprehensive succession planning process both the board and John believe it is the right time to transition leadership".
Yujnovich's "proven track record makes her ideally qualified to guide National Grid into its next phase of growth", it added.
Group chair Paula Reynolds said: "We are delighted to have found such a talented and worthy successor in Zoë Yujnovich, someone who is highly regarded in, and has wide experience of, the energy sector.
"An internationalist in outlook, she has a strong sense of purpose and is an inspiring leader. Further, she will arrive with a notable track record of delivering complicated, large scale capital projects in complex political environments."
After joining the board in September, Yujnovich will take the CEO job on 17 November when Pettigrew retires.
He leaves after almost three and a half decades at the company, having joined as a graduate in 1991 and become CEO in 2016.