Brian F. Thumm

Brian is the Vice President of Performance Improvement and Risk Management. In this role, Brian leads SERC’s Risk Assessment & Mitigation, Training & Outreach, Risk Awareness & Strategy, and Strategic Initiatives & Continuous Improvement departments. 

From an external perspective, this includes the oversight of SERC’s Entity Assistance function, which provides entities with Regional perspectives and best practices for myriad reliability and security risks; oversight of the Risk Assessment and Mitigation function, risk/harm determinations for potential noncompliance; and deployment of resources to manage risk through the Risk Awareness and Oversight function. The combination of these roles provides a unique platform from which to communicate emerging and persistent risks to a broad stakeholder base, and to work with registered entities to resolve those risks in a collaborative manner. From an internal perspective, he oversees the development of the SERC Long Term Strategic Plan, the Enterprise Risk Management program, and the development and monitoring of corporate strategic initiatives. He is also responsible for several internal oversight functions, including quality assurance, internal controls, program readiness, operational excellence, continuous improvement, and the Project Management Office (PMO). 

Prior to joining SERC, Brian served as Director of Regional Planning for ITC Holdings Corp. There, he led a group of engineers engaged in economic planning analysis, load forecasting, stability analysis, technical studies, NERC compliance, and interregional reliability planning. 

Brian has over 30 years of electric industry experience, including positions in transmission planning, transmission operations, regulatory strategy, external affairs, project development, nuclear licensing, and computer services. 

Brian received a Master of Business Administration from Michigan State University; a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University; and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina, Michigan, and Louisiana; and is a certified Project Management Professional.