Southern Linc has named Terry as president and CEO of Southern Communications, responsible for leading Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, Inc. (STI).
Terry, who will begin in her new role on January 1, 2024, will lead the two Southern Company subsidiaries that provide LTE wireless and dark fiber network solutions and services to electric utilities and various businesses and government agencies.
She will advance a strategy that furthers the capabilities of these subsidiaries to strengthen grid resilience and increase value for Southern Company system customers, communities and shareholders.
"I'm pleased that a leader of Bentina's caliber will join our experienced telecommunications leadership team," said Stan Connally, EVP of Southern Company Operations and CEO of Southern Company Services. "Her proven leadership skills and deep industry experience will help us advance how we meet core operational and customer needs through our wireline and wireless telecommunications operations."
A 20-year utility industry veteran, Terry joins Southern Linc and STI from Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power, where she most recently served as senior vice president of Customer Strategy and Solutions. In that role, she led business areas that ensured superior service and innovative solutions for Georgia Power's 2.4 million customers.
Throughout her career with the Southern Company system, Bentina has served customers and stakeholders in several states through wide-ranging roles in many areas. Since joining Georgia Power in 2001, she has held senior leadership roles in many business areas. Before Southern Company, Terry supported Georgia Power and Southern Company at Troutman Sanders (now Troutman Pepper) as a labor and employment lawyer. Earlier in her career, she served as associate general counsel at Progress Energy (now Duke Energy) in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In related news, the company also announced that Arnab Ghosal will join STI as vice president and chief operating officer. Ghosal will report to Terry in his new role, which he assumes on January 1, 2024.
Ghosal will help ensure STI is well positioned for the future as fiber deployment and utilization become ever more important to state and local economies and Southern Company system operations. In addition to his STI role, Ghosal will continue to lead a team at subsidiary Alabama Power that is working to make the electric grid more reliable and secure.
"I'm confident that Bentina, Arnab, and Southern Linc Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Treasurer Carmine Reppucci, along with their teammates, will lead our telecommunications businesses to deliver even more value to all those we are privileged to serve," Connally said.
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Sean Buckley
Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategies of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report across their websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products.