We are excited to announce that Michael Abboud is returning to Mesa Associates as Senior Vice President of Transmission & Distribution, bringing more than two decades of leadership experience across the electric and gas utility industry. Throughout his career, Mike has earned a reputation for building high-performing teams, cultivating trusted client relationships, and delivering strategic growth through collaboration, technical excellence, and a people-first leadership philosophy.
Most recently, Mike served as Vice President and Market Segment Leader for Energy Infrastructure at CHA Consulting, where he led business development and strategic growth initiatives across transmission, substation, distribution, gas, environmental, and advanced energy markets. He partnered with utility clients and multidisciplinary teams to develop innovative solutions that advanced critical infrastructure programs.
Prior to CHA, Mike served as Director of Distribution Engineering & Design at Mesa Associates, where he helped strengthen and expand the company’s distribution engineering business while leading multidisciplinary teams supporting some of the nation’s largest electric utilities. Returning to Mesa represents both a homecoming and an opportunity to help shape the next chapter of growth for the Transmission & Distribution organization.
Before transitioning into consulting, Mike spent nearly 17 years with Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), where he began his career as an Engineer and advanced through progressively broader engineering and leadership roles. His experience spans distribution engineering, project management, utility operations, customer strategy, and engineering leadership. Serving in the Office of the CEO provided him with a unique enterprise-wide perspective, working alongside leaders across operations, finance, legal, human resources, regulatory affairs, government affairs, and corporate strategy. Those experiences shaped his belief that lasting success comes from aligning great people around a shared vision.
While Mike’s foundation is rooted in electric distribution, his career has provided broad experience across transmission, substation, project management, utility operations, business development, and organizational leadership. This diverse background enables him to connect technical expertise with business strategy while maintaining a steadfast focus on client success and long-term partnerships.
Mike credits much of his own success to the mentors who invested in his development early in his career. Today, he is passionate about paying that investment forward. His leadership philosophy is centered on empowering others by providing vision, removing barriers, creating meaningful opportunities, and trusting talented people to do their best work. He believes the strongest organizations are built when people feel valued, challenged, supported, and united by a common purpose.
Mike shared his enthusiasm about joining the team: “I am excited to return to Mesa because of its people and culture. Throughout my career, I have learned that the greatest accomplishments are never achieved by one individual—they are the result of talented people working together, trusting one another, and striving toward a common goal. My role as a leader is to create an environment where people can grow, succeed, and make a meaningful impact on our clients and each other.“
Brett Varner, General Manager added: “We are excited to welcome Mike back to Mesa. Mike is a proven leader who understands our business, our clients, and – most importantly – our culture. He brings extensive experience, a passion for developing people, and a strong commitment to building lasting client relationships. As we continue to grow Mesa, I am confident Mike will help strengthen our Transmission & Distribution business while preserving the values of trust, integrity, and client focus that have defined our company.”
Outside of work, Mike is committed to serving his community through youth coaching, nonprofit board leadership, professional and industry organizations, and mentoring future leaders. He believes leadership extends beyond the workplace through service, integrity, and investing in the success of others.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Maryland, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Please join us in congratulating Mike on his new role with Mesa!
