President & Chief Executive Officer, Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC

Bill Fontenot became a member of Cleco's Boards of Managers in 2018 and currently serves as a member of the Asset Management Committee, Business Planning & Budget Review Committee and Governance & Public Affairs Committee.

Fontenot is president and chief executive officer of Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC, a regional energy holding company that conducts its business operations through its subsidiaries, Cleco Power LLC, and Cleco Cajun LLC. 

He began his career with Cleco in April 1986, holding numerous executive leadership positions with increasing responsibilities, including chief executive officer of Cleco Power from February 2017 to January 2018, chief operating officer of Cleco Power from April 2016 to February 2017 and senior vice president of utility operations for Cleco Power from March 2012 to April 2016. During his 30 plus years in the energy industry, Fontenot has managed the development and restructuring efforts of generation projects valued at over $900 million, including Cleco Power’s $1 billion generating unit, Madison 3. He also has worked in marketing and helped develop Cleco's merchant power businesses.

Fontenot also serves on the boards of the Council for a Better Louisiana, Association of Edison Illuminating Companies, Southeastern Electric Exchange, and the Central Louisiana Community Foundation. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University.