Enmax CEO Gianna Manes says she will retire from city-owned utility next spring

The CEO of Enmax Corp. says she will retire next spring after leading the city-owned utility to its first major U.S. investment earlier this year.

Gianna Manes, who has guided the City of Calgary-owned electricity generator and distributor since 2012 and was twice named one of Canada's most powerful women by the Women's Executive Network in that time, says she will step down effective May 31, 2020.

Earlier this year, Enmax agreed to make its first investment outside of Canada, inking a deal to purchase Halifax-based Emera Inc.'s interest in a regulated electric transmission and distribution company in Maine for about $1.3 billion.

Including assumed debt, the deal is worth about $1.8 billion and is expected to close late this year.

Enmax says it has about $5.6 billion in assets and posted revenues of $2.4 billion in 2018.

Manes has about 30 years of experience in the energy sector in Canada, the United States and Europe and served as chief customer officer with Duke Energy of Charlotte, N.C., from 2008 to 2012.