T. Preston Gillespie serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Generation Officer, and Enterprise Operational Excellence at Duke Energy Corporation, where he leads the company's vast generation portfolio, encompassing nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydro, and renewable energy assets. With over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, Gillespie has been instrumental in driving operational reliability, safety, and efficiency across Duke Energy's 50,000-megawatt generation fleet, serving millions of customers across the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest. His leadership emphasizes innovation in clean energy transitions, including the integration of advanced technologies for emissions reductions and grid resilience. Gillespie joined Progress Energy in 1992, advancing through key roles in plant operations, engineering, and fleet management before the 2012 merger with Duke Energy. Notable achievements include spearheading the safe decommissioning of aging coal plants, achieving top-tier safety performance metrics that earned industry awards from the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and the Edison Electric Institute, and optimizing nuclear fleet performance to exceed 90% capacity factors consistently. Under his guidance, Duke Energy has accelerated renewable integrations, adding thousands of megawatts of solar and battery storage while maintaining regulatory compliance and cost efficiencies. In his current role, Gillespie champions enterprise-wide operational excellence initiatives, implementing data-driven strategies like predictive analytics and lean methodologies to enhance productivity and reduce downtime. A graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, he holds professional engineer licensure and serves on industry boards, including the Nuclear Energy Institute, advising on generation strategies for a sustainable energy future.