Gale Klappa
Chairman of the Board of WEC Energy Group
Based in Milwaukee, WEC Energy Group is one of the nation’s premier energy companies, serving nearly 4.7 million electric and natural gas customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
Klappa has more than 45 years of experience working in the public utility industry, and more than 30 years at the senior executive level. With his extensive experience, Klappa leads the board with a deep understanding of the investment decisions and public policy issues facing large public companies.
Klappa joined Wisconsin Energy as president in April 2003. He was elected to the company’s board of directors in December 2003. From May 2004, Klappa served as chairman and chief executive officer of Wisconsin Energy and We Energies. Under his leadership, the company successfully completed its 2015 acquisition of Integrys Energy Group, at which time he assumed those same roles for WEC Energy Group.
Klappa served as non-executive chairman of WEC Energy Group after retiring as CEO in May 2016. In October 2017, Klappa resumed the role of chairman and chief executive officer to provide leadership and continuity following a medical setback that sidelined his successor. He returned to the non-executive chairman role in May 2024.
Before joining the company, Klappa held executive leadership roles at Southern Company, a public utility holding company based in Atlanta serving the southeastern United States. Klappa is a 1972 graduate cum laude of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications.
Klappa is a member of the board of directors of Associated Banc-Corp. He is co-chair of the Milwaukee 7 regional economic development initiative and serves on the UWM College of Business Advisory Council. In addition, Klappa has owned a minority interest in the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise.
Honors and Awards
- In 2024, Klappa received lifetime achievement awards from UWM and the National Association of Minority Contractors-Wisconsin.
- In 2023, Klappa was inducted into the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame.
- In 2021, he was named one of the 30 most inspiring leaders to watch by Silicon Review magazine.
- Business Worldwide magazine named Klappa CEO of the Year — Electric and Natural Gas Industry for both 2016 and 2018, as well as Growth Strategy CEO of the Year — USA for 2018. In 2018, he was also named CEO of the Year by CEO Monthly Magazine for the Most Outstanding Energy Delivery Holding Company.
- The Milwaukee Business Journal honored Klappa in 2017 with the Executive of the Year award.
- In 2016 — for the sixth consecutive year — he was named to the All-America Executive Team by Institutional Investor magazine.
- He was named 2013 Wisconsin Business Leader of the Year by the Harvard Business School Club of Wisconsin.
- In 2012, Corporate Responsibility magazine named Klappa Responsible CEO of the Year.
- Electric Light & Power magazine named Klappa CEO of the Year in January 2012. In 2011, Klappa received an honorary Doctor of Commercial Science degree from UWM.