Lynn Good

Lynn J. Good
Born	Lynn J. Good Template:Birth year and age
Birthplace	Ohio, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	Chair, President and CEO of Duke Energy (2013–2025)
Spouse(s)	Brian Good
Awards	Order of the Long Leaf Pine (2025); Citizen of the Carolinas (2025)

Lynn J. Good (born 1959 or 1960) is an American business executive who served as the chair, president, and chief executive officer of Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Good assumed the role of CEO on July 1, 2013, and led the company for nearly twelve years before announcing her retirement in 2025. A native of Ohio and a 1981 graduate of Miami University, Good rose through a career in accounting and finance before joining Duke Energy and ascending to its top leadership position. Her tenure at the helm of Duke Energy made her one of the most prominent women leading a major American utility company. In 2023, Forbes ranked her 65th on its list of the "World's 100 Most Powerful Women," and Fortune ranked her 31st on its list of Most Powerful Women the same year. Following her retirement from Duke Energy, Good was elected to the board of directors of Morgan Stanley and received multiple civic honors, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from the Governor of North Carolina.

Early Life

Lynn J. Good was born in approximately 1959 or 1960 and grew up in Ohio. Details about her family background and childhood have not been extensively documented in public sources. She attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she pursued studies in systems analysis and accounting. Good graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Analysis and Accounting.

Good has maintained a connection to her alma mater throughout her career. In March 2025, she returned to Miami University's College of Engineering and Computing to speak with students at an event where she was in conversation with Rob Davis, a 1989 Miami University graduate and CEO of Merck. The event reflected her ongoing engagement with the university and her interest in mentoring the next generation of business and engineering leaders.

Education

Good earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Analysis and Accounting from Miami University in 1981. The dual focus of her undergraduate studies in both technical systems analysis and accounting provided a foundation that would prove relevant to her later career in financial management and corporate leadership within the energy sector. Miami University, a public research university in Oxford, Ohio, has recognized Good as one of its distinguished alumni.

Career

Early Career and Path to Duke Energy

Before joining Duke Energy, Good built a career in accounting and finance. She worked at Deloitte & Touche, one of the major accounting firms, and later held financial and executive roles in the energy industry. Her expertise in financial management and her understanding of the complex regulatory and operational landscape of the utility industry positioned her for increasingly senior roles.

Good joined Duke Energy and rose through the company's leadership ranks. Her financial acumen and strategic thinking were central to her advancement within the organization. Prior to being named CEO, she served in senior financial positions at the company, including as chief financial officer, gaining deep familiarity with Duke Energy's operations, regulatory relationships, and strategic direction.

CEO of Duke Energy

On June 18, 2013, Duke Energy announced that Lynn Good had been named the company's new president and chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2013. The appointment came during a period of significant transition for Duke Energy, which had completed its merger with Progress Energy in 2012, creating the largest electric utility in the United States by customer base. Good's selection as CEO placed her at the helm of a company serving approximately 7.7 million customers across multiple states in the Southeast and Midwest.

A November 2014 profile in Fortune magazine examined Good's leadership approach and strategic direction, posing the question of whether she was "the smartest new CEO in the energy industry." The article highlighted her methodical approach to managing the post-merger integration and navigating the evolving energy landscape.

Strategic Direction and Energy Transition

During her tenure as CEO, Good oversaw significant strategic shifts at Duke Energy as the company navigated the changing dynamics of the American energy industry. One area of interest under her leadership was carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology. Good expressed the view that carbon sequestration was "worth pursuing" as part of a broader strategy for addressing carbon emissions from power generation. Carbon capture and storage involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from sources such as fossil fuel power plants and storing them underground to prevent their release into the atmosphere.

Good's nearly twelve-year tenure was characterized by the company's gradual transition toward cleaner energy sources while maintaining its large fleet of traditional generation assets. According to The Business Journals, Good's leadership over this period made her "one of Charlotte's most impactful business figures of the 21st century," and she was credited with building "a different Duke Energy" from the one she inherited.

Compensation

As CEO of one of the nation's largest utility companies, Good received compensation packages consistent with the scale of the enterprise. In 2019, The Business Journals reported on fluctuations in her compensation, noting that Good's pay had seen a notable decline compared to the previous year. By 2024, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings reported by The Business Journals, Good's total compensation package was nearly $21.3 million.

Business Roundtable

In January 2023, it was reported that Good had joined the board of the Business Roundtable, a prominent association of chief executive officers of leading American companies that advocates for policies to promote economic growth. Her involvement with the Business Roundtable reflected her standing among the country's most prominent corporate leaders and provided a platform for her to participate in policy discussions affecting the energy and business sectors.

Retirement from Duke Energy

Good announced her plan to retire from Duke Energy, with her departure expected to take effect in April 2025, ending a nearly twelve-year tenure as CEO. Her retirement marked the end of one of the longest CEO tenures at a major American utility company during a period of significant industry transformation. The Business Journals profiled Good as part of its Women in Business coverage in March 2025, reflecting on how she had reshaped Duke Energy during her time at the company's helm.

Board Memberships

Throughout her career, Good has served on several corporate boards. She served as a member of the board of directors of Boeing, the aerospace and defense company.

In June 2025, following her retirement from Duke Energy, Morgan Stanley announced that Good had been elected to the company's board of directors, effective July 18, 2025. Her election to the Morgan Stanley board signaled her continued involvement in the upper echelons of American corporate governance following her departure from active management at Duke Energy.

Personal Life

Lynn Good is married to Brian Good. The couple has resided in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metropolitan area, which serves as Duke Energy's headquarters city. Details about her personal life beyond her marriage are not extensively documented in public sources, consistent with Good's generally private approach to her personal affairs.

Good has maintained a strong connection to her home state of Ohio and her alma mater, Miami University, while also becoming deeply embedded in the civic and business community of Charlotte, North Carolina, during her tenure at Duke Energy. Her engagement with the Charlotte community was recognized with multiple civic honors following her retirement.

Recognition

Good's leadership in the energy industry and her standing in the broader business community have been recognized by several prominent organizations and publications.

In 2023, Forbes ranked Good 65th on its annual list of the "World's 100 Most Powerful Women," placing her among the most influential women in global business, politics, and culture. That same year, Fortune magazine ranked her 31st on its Most Powerful Women list, a ranking that focuses on women leaders in the American business community. These rankings reflected her position as one of the most senior women leading a major American corporation.

In 2014, Fortune published a feature profile of Good, examining her leadership of Duke Energy and her strategic vision for the company.

Following her retirement from Duke Energy in 2025, Good received additional recognition for her contributions to the communities served by the company. In June 2025, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (CLT Alliance) named Good the 2025 Citizen of the Carolinas, an award recognizing her impact on the Charlotte region and the broader Carolinas.

On June 30, 2025, Governor Josh Stein of North Carolina inducted Good into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state's highest civilian honor, during a ceremony celebrating exceptional North Carolinians for their contributions to the state. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the state of North Carolina and their communities.

Legacy

Lynn Good's nearly twelve-year tenure as CEO of Duke Energy placed her among the most prominent women to lead a major American utility company. Her leadership spanned a period of significant transformation in the energy industry, during which utilities faced increasing pressure to shift from fossil fuel-dependent generation toward cleaner energy sources while maintaining grid reliability and affordable rates for customers.

The Business Journals characterized her tenure as having fundamentally reshaped Duke Energy, noting that she had "built a different Duke Energy" during her time leading the company. Her career trajectory — from accounting and finance through the CFO role and ultimately to the CEO suite — demonstrated a path to corporate leadership that combined technical financial expertise with strategic vision.

Good's post-retirement activities, including her election to the Morgan Stanley board of directors and her continued engagement with Miami University, suggest an ongoing role in American corporate governance and mentorship. Her recognition through the Citizen of the Carolinas award and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine reflects the regard in which she is held in the communities where Duke Energy operates.

As one of a relatively small number of women who have led Fortune 500 energy companies, Good's career has been followed as part of broader discussions about gender representation in senior corporate leadership, particularly in industries that have historically been led predominantly by men.