The vice chairman and COO of Enron Corp.’s international divisionhas resigned, two months after the chair and CEO of the division wasapparently forced out. Joseph W. Sutton will leave Enron Nov. 1 topursue other opportunities, said the company. His boss, Rebecca Mark,resigned in August (see Daily GPI, Aug. 28).

Sutton joined Enron in 1992 after 23 years in the U.S. Army,where he had been commander of a tank regiment at Fort Knox, KY. Hewas named CEO and chairman of Enron’s international unit in 1998,and was promoted to vice chairman in 1999.

Sutton was Mark’s operating officer, and reported to Mark, whoamong other things, was Enron’s CEO for Enron International. Shealso was vice chairman of Enron’s board when she resigned.Following her resignation, Sutton took over her responsibilities,said Enron’s Karen Denne. Denne said that Sutton had been focusedon international power plant expansion for the company.

The international unit of Enron is responsible for globalizingthe company’s businesses, including development activities,construction and operation of power plants and gas and electricitymerchant services. Sutton assisted Mark in developing EnronInternational’s long-term strategy, and the team was credited withmoving Enron from a U.S. energy services and pipeline company to aglobal player in integrated energy services.

Denne said that Enron had no plans to replace Sutton, butearlier this month, Enron named J. Clifford Baxter as vice chairmanresponsible for extending the company’s wholesale business modeland increasing the return on invested capital. In the announcementabout Baxter, who had been Enron’s chief strategy officer, Enronofficials said that Sutton would remain vice chairman withresponsibility for the international wholesale operations.

The Houston-based corporation has been undergoing changes in itsoperations for several months now, focusing more on its wholesaleenergy and marketing divisions and less on construction activities.Unsubstantiated speculation by Enron shareholders suggested thisweek that some of the management changes could be related to apossible Cabinet appointment for Enron CEO Kenneth L. Lay if TexasGov. George W. Bush is elected president in November.

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