Brian Walshe, Managing Partner

Mr. Walshe's utility experience focuses on corporate strategy development, generation resource planning and acquisition, and business integration planning. In his 20-year career, he has provided consulting services to more than 60 utility and regulatory clients in the United States, Europe, Africa, and the Asia/Pacific Rim, including expert witness testimony in utility rate case proceedings.

His experience includes in-depth knowledge of power plant operations and renewable energy technologies. He is the author of the "Guidebook to Expand the Role of Renewables in a Power Portfolio", written for the American Public Power Association. This book helps municipal electric companies evaluate the costs and risks associated with renewable generation.

Mr. Walshe has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University. Previous employment experience includes McKinsey & Company, Navigant Consulting, and Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation.

Email: bfw@ionconsulting.com

Robert Picchi, Partner

Mr. Picchi is a leader in the area of leveraging core strengths to create new competitive advantage. In his 22-year consulting career he has worked with utilities to launch new enterprises in telecommunications, energy services, and technology ventures. Additionally, he has worked with non-utility organizations seeking to better understand regulated utilities in an effort to develop products and services to better meet industry needs. Mr. Picchi has developed a disciplined business-planning process to objectively assess market conditions, identify areas of sustainable competitive advantage, and craft successful strategies to realize value.

He has authored numerous articles on telecommunications and energy, is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), and a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Mr. Picchi has a Master of Business Administration from Duke University, and a Bachelor's degree with a concentration in Economics from the University of Michigan, Dearborn. Previous employment experience includes Carolina Power & Light Company, Metzler & Associates (Navigant Consulting), Utilities International, and the Blue Ridge Advisory Services Group.

Email: rhp@ionconsulting.com

Rick Pinkerton, Partner

Mr. Pinkerton has more than 20 years of experience in the electric, gas, and water utilities industries. He has assisted more than 30 clients in the United States, Europe, South America, and the Middle East, and has experience in various industry sectors including supply, transmission, distribution, retail, and non-regulated ventures.

Mr. Pinkerton’s most recent work has focused on assisting utilities and industry service providers with business strategy and improvement efforts involving acquisitions, joint ventures, and transformations. He has extensive experience in helping transmission and distribution utilities improve the way they manage the performance, cost, and risk of their physical assets, which has involved identifying and addressing related issues with processes, practices, organization structure, information, IT systems, decision support tools, staff capabilities, and performance management. Mr. Pinkerton has provided expert testimony in regulatory hearings on T&D operations, has spoken at industry and trade association conferences, and has published papers and articles on various topics related to his work.

Mr. Pinkerton has a Master of Business Administration degree from Emory University (Beta Gamma Sigma academic merit honoree) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Cooperative Education Program – four years with Georgia Power). Previous employment experience includes UMS Group, Utilities International, Metzler & Associates (Navigant Consulting), and Florida Power & Light.

Email: frp@ionconsulting.com

Carl Pistole, Partner

Mr. Pistole's utility experience encompasses corporate strategy development and financial advisory services. In his 10 years of utility experience, he has provided consulting services to numerous utilities and energy project developers in the United States and Canada. He also managed a hedge fund portfolio comprising energy and utility equities, and has financed several alternative energy and environmental projects.

His experience includes in-depth knowledge of valuation, electrical generation, deal structuring, risk management, performance measurement, and alternative energy technology. He has authored articles on project finance and asset divestitures.

Mr. Pistole has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado, and is a graduate of the United States Naval War College. Previous employment experience includes Epsilon Advisors, LLC (a Registered Investment Advisor) Trove Partners, LLC (an Investment Advisory firm), Navigant Consulting, and Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Email: cop@ionconsulting.com