Mr. Mansour has over 40 years of experience as both a professional engineer and executive in the electric utility business in Canada, the United States, and abroad. He retired as President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator Corporation (“CAISO”) in 2011, a position he had held since 2005. CAISO is responsible for operating and controlling 80% of the California electric grid, designing and operating the California electricity market, and for settlements of over $8 billion annually. Under Mr. Mansour’s leadership, the California market structure was completely redesigned, and CAISO established the market and technical foundation to accommodate one of the most aggressive renewable portfolio standards in the world. Prior to that, Mr. Mansour served in senior executive roles at BC Hydro and British Columbia Transmission Corporation where he was responsible for Operation, Asset Management, and Inter-Utility Affairs of the electric grid.
A Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Mr. Mansour has authored and co-authored numerous publications. He is recognized internationally in the field of Power Engineering and received several distinguished awards for his contributions to the industry.
In 2009, Mr. Mansour was named to the U.S. Department of Energy Electricity Advisory Committee as a vice chair. He also served on the various committees of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and its predecessor organization, CEGRE, the Transmission Council of the Canadian Electric Association, and the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute.
Mr. Mansour holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Alexandria (Alexandria, Egypt) and a Master of Science from the University of Calgary (Calgary, AB).
Mr. Mansour brings to the Company and the Board decades of experience in generation, transmission and energy competitive markets in both a regulated and deregulated market environment.
At TransAlta, Yakout is a member of the Governance, Safety and Sustainability Committee and the Human Resources Committee.