On March 22, John Ramil, CEO and President of TECO Energy was the speaker for the Competitive Edge Series of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.  John is a Tampa native who attended Tampa Catholic and the University of South Florida.  He is a quality leader who cares deeply about his employees and seeks to connect with them.  John believes that in order to succeed it is essential for leaders to get outside of their comfort zones and participate in continuous education.

TECO Energy is a company that been around for a 115 years.  The company has survived financially troubling times and has been able to adapt to a world that is more regulated and environment friendly.  From 2003-2006, TECO Energy struggled to keep its head above water.  With new regulations coming in from California and the Enron scandal of 2001 leading to the crash of the wholesale power market, the leaders at TECO knew some big changes had to be made.

In 2004, Ramil left a job that he was comfortable in at Tampa Electric to pursue the new and difficult challenges at TECO Energy.  They divested non-utility assets in an effort to reduce debt and find the capital to begin borrowing again.  “We focused on our core business,” says Ramil.  In 2010, John Ramil was offered the position as the CEO of TECO Energy. 

Today TECO Energy is one of the top 20 Utility Companies in North America.  John is constantly striving to add value for his customers.  Throughout the years he has learned the importance of listening, of getting outside of his comfort zone, of discipline when executing plans and of staying connected to the community.  As Ramil learned in business school, “There are four rules of business: Don’t run out of cash, make good investing decisions, make good financial decisions, and don’t forget rule number one!”

Visit TECO Energy’s website to learn more.