Matthew Rhodes

Matthew Rhodes is executive vice president, strategy and corporate development for Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE: WTRG), one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the U.S., serving approximately 5 million people across 10 states.

Rhodes leads the development and execution of Essential’s strategic initiatives, with an emphasis on growth. Additionally, he is responsible for the organization’s overall corporate development, including acquisitions of regulated and market-based businesses, and oversees operations of the market-based businesses.

Since joining the organization, Rhodes has led numerous acquisitions and nearly doubled the Company’s customer base. His key accomplishments include the pending acquisition of Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA), the largest municipal transaction in Company history. Rhodes also led the Company’s acquisition of natural gas distribution company Peoples, which brought together the second-largest U.S. water utility and fifth-largest U.S. stand-alone natural gas local distribution company (based on customers). Upon the closing of Peoples, the Company will have a projected U.S. regulated rate base of more than $7.2 billion, with approximately 70 percent in water and wastewater and 30 percent in natural gas.