Tom Fanning

Chief Operating Officer, Southern Company

Tom Fanning joined the company as a financial analyst in 1980. He has held several officer positions in the areas of finance, strategy, international business development and information technology. He served as president and CEO of Gulf Power and as chief financial officer at Georgia Power and Mississippi Power.

In 2003, he was named executive vice president and chief financial officer for Southern Company. In January 2008, he was named chief operating officer for Southern Company, with responsibility for Generation, Southern Power, Transmission and corporate strategy.

He has a bachelor's degree in industrial management and a master's degree in finance at Georgia Institute of Technology. His executive education includes programs at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland; Harvard University School of Business; and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

He serves the board of directors for The St. Joe Company, one of Florida’s largest real estate companies. He also serves on the Georgia Tech Advisory Council and is a member of the board of the Southern Center for International Studies.