BATON ROUGE, La. – Entergy Louisiana president and CEO Phillip May has been named the 2026 Executive of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), recognizing his exceptional leadership in strengthening Louisiana’s business climate, advancing major economic development initiatives and supporting the wellbeing of communities across the state.
The honor is part of LABI’s 2026 Louisiana Business Excellence Awards, which celebrates individuals and organizations whose investments, innovation and long-term commitment are shaping the state’s economic future.
“On behalf of Entergy’s leadership team, I extend my sincere congratulations to Phillip May on being honored with LABI’s Executive of the Year Award,” said Drew Marsh, chair and chief executive officer of Entergy. “This distinguished recognition reflects Phillip’s strategic vision, his unwavering commitment to Louisiana’s communities and his business leadership that continues to strengthen Louisiana’s economic landscape. We commend LABI for recognizing Phillip’s impact on our state’s business environment and his contributions toward creating a stronger, more competitive economy in which all Louisianians can prosper.”
Under May’s leadership, Entergy Louisiana has played a central role in maximizing the state’s unprecedented economic growth opportunities. He has strategically positioned the company to meet evolving customer expectations by advancing grid resilience, reliability and sustainability, including Louisiana’s first comprehensive $1.9 billion grid resilience plan designed to fortify the electric system against increasingly severe weather events.
His approach has transformed Entergy Louisiana into a catalyst for major industrial and technological resurgence, securing landmark investments that are bringing thousands of jobs and long-term economic benefits to communities across the state.
“Phillip’s leadership has been instrumental in advancing Louisiana’s competitive position in the global marketplace,” said Susan Bourgeois, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. “His commitment to strengthening infrastructure, supporting major industrial investments and deepening partnerships across our communities has helped create meaningful opportunities for the people of Louisiana and our economy. This recognition from LABI reflects the tremendous impact Phillip continues to have on our state’s future.”
In 2024, May helped attract Meta’s largest AI data center to Richland Parish, a transformative project expected to generate significant employment and to position the region as a hub for advanced technology. He followed this success by playing a pivotal role in bringing Hyundai Steel’s $6 billion ultra-low carbon steel production mill to Louisiana in 2025, a project anticipated to create thousands of jobs and support cutting-edge, sustainable manufacturing processes. These projects were recognized nationally, with Louisiana becoming the only state to earn Business Facilities Magazine’s Platinum Deal of the Year award in two consecutive years.
May, along with his fellow honorees, will take center stage at LABI’s Louisiana Business Excellence Awards Luncheon, presented by b1BANK.
About Entergy Louisiana
Entergy Louisiana provides electricity to more than 1.1 million customers in 58 parishes. Entergy Louisiana is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR). Entergy generates, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re focused on keeping costs for our customers as low as possible while providing reliable energy that our communities count on. We’re also investing in growth for the future with a more resilient, cleaner energy system that includes modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy generation. As a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, Entergy delivers more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to the communities we serve through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at EntergyLouisiana.com and connect with @EntergyLA on social media.
