Baxter to become president, CEO of Ameren

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Ameren Corp. is promoting Warner Baxter to president of the St. Louis-based utility, effective immediately, and he'll become CEO this spring, the company said Tuesday.

Baxter is a longtime executive at Ameren. He succeeds Thomas Voss, who will retire on July 1.

Baxter also has been elected to the board of directors. He will become chief executive on April 24, the same day Voss will become Ameren's executive chairman.

Baxter was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Ameren from 2003 to 2009, and has since served as chief executive of its Ameren Missouri division.

"Warner has significant financial and operating experience as Ameren's former CFO and as the current CEO of Ameren Missouri," Ameren's lead director, Walter Galvin, said in a news release. "He is uniquely qualified to lead Ameren Corp."

Baxter said he was confident that execution of the company's strategic plan "will bring superior long-term value to our customers and superior returns for our shareholders."

Voss, 66, has been president and CEO since 2009 and chairman since 2010.

"Ameren's success has been a direct result of the hard work and winning attitude of all our employees," Voss said in the release.

Ameren provides electric and natural gas services in parts of Missouri and Illinois.