A longtime Canadian utility executive will take over as Versant Power Company’s president next year.

Erica Young is currently the executive vice president of Enmax Energy, a utility based in Alberta, Canada, that serves about 550,000 customers and is owned by Enmax Corp., which also owns Versant. Young previously served as Enmax Energy’s chief legal, commercial and regulatory officer, Versant said in an announcement Tuesday.

She “played a leadership role” in Enmax’s 2020 acquisition of the local utility, then named Emera Maine, and has served on Versant’s board of directors for about five years, board Chair Mark Poweska said in a written statement.

“(That history) will allow her to build on her existing positive relationships with Versant team members, making her well positioned to lead the company, alongside the executive team,” Poweska said.

Young will take over as Versant’s acting president Jan. 1, although her official start date is in May, the company said. She will replace John Flynn, who has led the utility since 2020 and plans to retire at the end of April.

Flynn congratulated Young in a written statement, adding that he “could not be prouder of what Versant Power has accomplished over the last five years.”

The Maine Public Utilities Commission opened an investigation into Versant’s management and performance in April, after an audit found customers faced increased rates but did not benefit from improved service. The commission cited “what appears to be a lack of meaningful oversight of Versant by its corporate parent Enmax” as one of several contributing factors.

Based in Bangor, Versant is the second-largest electricity provider in the state, serving roughly 165,000 customers in northern and central Maine. The state’s largest utility, Central Maine Power Co., also announced a new president last month.

The Bangor utility last raised its distribution rates over the summer.