Girma Birru, former Ethiopia’s ambassador to the United States, has been appointed as the Chairman of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation’s (EEPCo) Board of Directors, replacing Debretsion Gebremichael who has been named as deputy head of the Tigray region, according to the Amharic Reporter. The decision to change the chairmanship of the Board was passed on April 26 by Seleshi Bekele, the Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, the paper wrote.
Before taking up his ambassadorial post in 2010, Girma has served in the same post for fifteen years. Girma Birru also previously served as Minister of Trade and Industry of Ethiopia (2001-10) and Minister of Economic Development and Cooperation of Ethiopia (1995-2001). In addition, other postings include minister heading the Ethiopian Revenue Administration Board, Deputy Minister of Finance, Administration and Logistics at the Ministry of National Defense, as well as Chief Advisor to the Minister of Defense on Economic Issues.
Girma Birru started his professional public service as an economist in the Office of the Council of Ministers in 1982. He has since served as an alternate governor of the World Bank and of the African Development Bank, and as a board member of COMESA Bank-PTA Bank, representing Ethiopia from 1995 to 2001. Since 1992, he has also been a chairman and member of the board of directors for various institutions, including Development Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Investment Agency, Ethiopian Road Authority, and World Bank-funded Ethiopian Social Rehabilitation Development Fund. Girma is also Central Committee member of the OPDO.
Among the board members of EEPCo are the newly appointed Minister of Public Enterprises and former ambassador to Brussels, Teshome Toga, State Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, Frehiwot Woldehanna, the newly appointed construction minister, Aisha Mohammed, the President at Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Bekalu Zeleke