GDS Taps Veteran CEO, Signals PE-Fueled Expansion in Utility Sector

MARIETTA, GA – September 10, 2026 – In a move that signals a significant strategic pivot, GDS Associates, a respected 40-year-old power consulting firm, has appointed industry veteran Miki Deric as its new Chief Executive Officer. While leadership changes are common, this appointment is more than a simple succession; it's the most visible component of an ambitious growth strategy fueled by a recent partnership with private equity firm Littlejohn & Co. The move positions GDS to aggressively expand its national footprint, both organically and through acquisition, at a time when the U.S. utility industry faces its most profound transformation in a century.

The Private Equity Playbook: A New Era of Growth

The appointment of Deric follows GDS’s partnership with Littlejohn & Co. earlier this year, an investment designed to catapult the Marietta-based firm from a trusted, technically-focused consultancy into a national engineering and advisory platform. Littlejohn & Co., known for its investments in middle-market companies poised for transformation, sees a prime opportunity in the fragmented utility consulting landscape. Their strategy often involves identifying market leaders in niche sectors and providing the capital and strategic oversight to consolidate the market and scale operations.

For a firm like GDS, the appeal to private equity is clear. It boasts a long history of technical excellence, deep client relationships, and a steady stream of business in a critical infrastructure sector. The partnership provides GDS with the financial firepower to pursue acquisitions and invest in new capabilities—something that is increasingly necessary to compete with larger, diversified consulting giants. “We are excited to support Miki and the GDS team as they expand the company’s capabilities, both organically and through acquisitions,” said Charles Leung, Managing Director at Littlejohn & Co., in a statement that underscores the M&A-centric growth plan.

This follows a well-worn playbook in the professional services industry, where private equity firms act as catalysts for rapid growth. The capital injection allows firms to acquire smaller competitors, enter new geographic markets, and invest in technology and talent far more quickly than they could through retained earnings alone. As Brian Michaud, Managing Partner at Littlejohn, noted, Deric’s appointment brings a “clear vision for growth,” making him “the right leader for GDS’ next phase.”

A Veteran Strategist for a Transforming Industry

To execute this ambitious plan, GDS and Littlejohn have selected a leader whose career is defined by navigating precisely the kind of industry-wide disruption the utility sector is currently experiencing. Miki Deric’s 30-year career includes senior leadership roles where he was directly responsible for growth and strategic transformation. At Accenture, he led a 300-person North American utilities strategy unit, giving him a deep understanding of the challenges facing large-scale power companies. Later, as the head of Davies Consulting, he doubled the firm's size before leading its successful acquisition by Accenture—direct experience in the kind of growth and integration GDS is now pursuing.

His more recent role leading the European advisory expansion for TRC Companies further burnished his credentials in growing a consulting practice across new markets. Deric’s expertise aligns perfectly with the maelstrom of challenges facing GDS’s clients. As he stated, “Utilities are asking more of their planning and engineering advisors than ever.”

Those demands are complex and multifaceted. Utilities are grappling with a trifecta of pressures: decarbonization mandates requiring massive renewable energy integration, the urgent need to modernize an aging grid with smart technologies and advanced analytics, and the ever-present threat of cyber and physical security breaches. Consultants are no longer just providing rate case support or engineering studies; they are strategic partners in business model transformation. Deric’s background in strategic growth, operating model transformation, and technology modernization makes him uniquely suited to steer GDS toward providing these more holistic, high-value services.

Balancing Ambition and Identity

For GDS, the challenge will be to execute this aggressive growth strategy without diluting the very qualities that made it successful for four decades. The firm built its reputation on what President David Brian calls “technical excellence and a collaborative approach.” For employees and long-standing clients, rapid, PE-fueled expansion can sometimes feel like a threat to a company’s core culture and commitment to quality.

Recognizing this, the leadership structure appears designed to balance these competing priorities. Deric is explicitly tasked with strategy and national development, while David Brian remains President, overseeing day-to-day operations, client relationships, and the firm’s consulting work. This division of labor aims to ensure that while Deric focuses on building the future, Brian is safeguarding the present. “Miki understands what makes the firm distinctive, and I look forward to building on that foundation with him,” Brian commented, signaling a commitment to a collaborative transition rather than a disruptive takeover.

This dual-leadership approach is critical. It allows the firm to present a familiar face to its established client base, ensuring continuity and service quality, while the new CEO can dedicate his efforts to scouting acquisitions, forging new partnerships, and scaling the business. The “series of investments” mentioned in the announcement will likely go towards building the internal infrastructure needed to support this growth, from integrating new acquisitions to developing advanced data analytics capabilities that meet the evolving needs of the utility sector.

The Road Ahead: Navigating a Market in Flux

The strategic shift at GDS is a microcosm of the broader changes sweeping through the energy and utility landscape. The transition to a cleaner, more decentralized, and more digitized grid is creating unprecedented demand for sophisticated advisory services. Utilities need partners who can navigate complex regulatory environments, manage massive capital projects, integrate disparate technologies, and help them build a resilient and secure energy future.

By bringing in a seasoned strategist like Miki Deric and securing the backing of a growth-oriented partner in Littlejohn & Co., GDS is making a clear statement of intent. The firm is positioning itself not just to respond to market changes, but to lead them, expanding its service offerings to become a one-stop strategic advisor for utilities in transformation. The road ahead involves the delicate act of integrating new people, technologies, and companies while preserving a 40-year legacy of trust and technical rigor upon which its entire enterprise was built.