John joined MISO in 2004 and has more than 30 years of executive leadership in the utility industry.  As Chief Executive Officer of MISO since 2009, he leads MISO’s continuous efforts to work collaboratively with its members to reliably deliver low-cost energy through efficient and innovative operations and planning.

Prior to his current position, Bear was MISO’s president and chief operating officer, overseeing the initial design, implementation and daily operation of MISO’s energy markets and transmission system planning.

Previously, Bear was President of Houston-based Reliant Resources as well as serving as Managing Director of Reliant’s European Operations.

Bear is currently Vice President of the GO15, the world’s largest power market and grid operators.  The GO15 shares knowledge on key issues representing more than 75% of the world’s electricity demand on six continents.

He serves as Board Chairman of the Energy Systems Network (ESN), an initiative focused on building an energy ecosystem that integrates all aspects of the energy landscape to develop clean energy solutions. He also serves on the board of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a non-profit which focuses on energy and environmental research. Bear is also a member of the Governance Board of the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Indiana Fire Academy Soccer Club.

He has served on the President’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee, is a former Board member of the NERC regional entity ReliabilityFirst, and a founding board member of the Amsterdam Power Exchange (APX).

Bear graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.  He attended the INSEAD Advanced Management Program for Senior Executives.