Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> February 21, 2000
ROBERT B. CATELL is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KeySpan
Corporation, a holding company that was created in 1998 when the parent
company of Brooklyn Union merged with the Long Island Lighting Company.
He is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KeySpan Energy
Delivery, the former Brooklyn Union. Mr. Catell is Chairman of the
following KeySpan affiliates and subsidiaries: KeySpan Services, Inc.,
Northeast Gas Markets, Alberta Northeast Inc. Mr. Catell joined Brooklyn
Union in 1958. His rise through the managerial ranks culminated in his
1991 election as Brooklyn Union's President and Chief Executive Officer.
He was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1996. He is the co-
author of The CEO and the Monk: One Company's Journey to Profit and
Purpose, which was published in 2004. Mr. Catell serves on the Board of
Independence Community Bank, the Independence Community Foundation and
J&W Seligman. He is Chairman of the Board of the Downtown Brooklyn
Council, the Long Island Association and the U.S. Energy Association.
Mr. Catell is an ex officio Director and Chairman Emeritus of The
Partnership for New York City, Inc., a past Chairman of The Houston
Exploration Company, and a past Chairman of the American Gas
Association. He is a Vice Chairman of the National Petroleum Council's
Natural Gas Committee and also a member of its Finance Committee.
Additionally, he serves on JPMorgan/Chase's Metropolitan Advisory Board,
the advisory board of HeartShare for Human Services and the advisory
board for SUNY Farmingdale. Mr. Catell is a past Chairman of the
Advisory Board of the City College of New York's School of Engineering.
His further contributions to the community include serving as a Trustee
of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He serves as a Member Emeritus of the
Brooklyn Law School. He is a former Chairman of the Brooklyn Chamber of
Commerce. In addition to his numerous business and cultural activities,
Mr. Catell is also Chairman and a Director of Alberta Northeast Inc., a
distribution company formed to purchase Canadian gas. Mr. Catell
received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical
Engineering from the City College of New York and is a Registered
Professional Engineer. He has attended Columbia University's Executive
Development Program, and the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard
Business School. Profile
Mr. Catell: Brooklyn Union really goes back more than 100 years we
celebrated our 100th anniversary in 1995. We started in
