Robert Gaudette
(Rice MBA '01)
President and CEO, NRG
Robert Gaudette is President and Chief Executive Officer of NRG, a Fortune 200 energy company delivering affordable, reliable, and sustainable solutions to eight million customers across North America.
Robert became CEO on April 30, 2026, following 25 years with the company. At NRG, he has led teams across power generation, wholesale and retail operations, trading, and commercial strategy. He began his career at Mirant and led its Mid-Atlantic business unit in Washington, D.C. He later served as Chief Commercial Officer at GenOn Energy, where he oversaw all trading and marketing operations.
Before entering the private sector, Robert served four years as an Army combat engineer officer in the U.S. Cavalry, including a one-year deployment to Bosnia. He concluded his military career as the executive officer of a combat engineer company in the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment.
Robert earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from The College of William and Mary and a Master of Business Administration from Rice University, where he was a Jones Scholar. He serves on the Boards of the Greater Houston Partnership, the Electric Power Supply Association, where he is Vice Chair, and the Advisory Board of the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. He also serves on the Board of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and at St. Agnes Academy.