Omaha Public Power District President and CEO Javier Fernandez recently announced his selection of Brad Underwood, the utility’s current vice president of Systems Transformation, to assume duties of Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. He will now lead both business units as one newly integrated team.
Underwood replaces Jeff Bishop, who recently accepted another public utility job in his home state of Washington, where he still has family.
“Jeff’s departure gave us an opportunity to be intentional about our next steps,” said President and CEO Javier Fernandez. “It quickly became apparent that we already had the best solution for the CFO position, within our organization. Brad is a proven leader and has done a fantastic job delivering results for OPPD.”
Fernandez said bringing Systems Transformation together with Financial Services under one business unit strengthens OPPD’s ability to drive sustainable growth and operational excellence.
“This integration helps ensure our decision-making is aligned and that transformation efforts are not only innovative but also financially sound. It helps us to maximize our resources and deliver greater value to our customers.”
Underwood started at OPPD, a Nebraska public power utility, in 2013 as manager of Nuclear Business Operations. Since then, he served as treasury manager, director of Corporate Planning and director of Financial Planning.
He was promoted to vice president of Systems Transformation in May 2022.
Prior to OPPD, he served in various roles providing commercial and financial oversight for teams constructing large energy infrastructure projects. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master’s degree from Creighton University.
“Brad’s experience will allow for a smooth leadership transition and will enable us to continue moving forward on the important initiatives taking place in both these areas,” Fernandez said.
