Jim Shay, Senior Vice President, Finance and Strategic Planning and Chief Financial Officer, Great Plains Energy and KCP&L

Jim Shay brings an extensive background in finance and operations in the energy sector to KCP&L, where, as chief financial officer, he is responsible for investor relations, finance, accounting and risk management.
                         
Prior to joining KCP&L in July 2010, Mr. Shay served as chief financial officer for Northern Power Systems, a wind turbine producer that uses innovative permanent magnet and direct-drive technology. Among his accomplishments, he established new accounting and finance systems that consolidated accounting operations following a merger. He also worked with the CEO and board to establish an operational plan and corporate governance practices and to prepare the company for a possible initial public offering.

Mr. Shay previously served as chief financial officer of General Electric's Environmental Services in Kansas City, where he was a key member of the leadership team that established the Environmental Services business by combining several GE businesses and the newly acquired BHA Group Holdings, a world leader in the supply of aftermarket parts and services to operators of industrial air pollution equipment. Prior to joining GE, Mr. Shay was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for BHA, where he was responsible for investor relations, human resources, information technology, legal, risk management and business services.

In addition, he acquired significant merger and acquisition experience as a managing director of Frontier Investment Banc Corporation, where he focused on business development and creating a market for client opportunities, and he gained public accounting experience as an audit manager with KPMG Peat Marwick, where he focused on the areas of manufacturing, engineering and retailing. 

Mr. Shay has a Bachelor in Science in Accounting from the University of Kansas. He is a member of the University of Kansas Advancement Board, the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants, Financial Executive Institute, Chairman's Circle for the American Cancer Society and a trustee on the MRIGlobal Board of Directors. He was included in 2002 by Ingram's magazine's 40 Under Forty Class, which recognizes high achievers in the Kansas City community.