Ross Ridenoure: Chief Nuclear Officer | Senior Reactor Operator | Nuclear Licensing & Regulatory Affairs Executive

We are thrilled to welcome Ross Ridenoure to the Hadron Energy team as Chief Nuclear Officer!

Ross Ridenoure is a highly accomplished nuclear executive with over 35 years of experience in commercial nuclear power operations, licensing, and international nuclear development. A three-time Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO) and licensed Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) on multiple reactor designs (two PWR’s and a BWR), Ross has led major nuclear initiatives across the U.S., Middle East, and globally through both public and private sector engagements.

He has served as the CNO at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Fort Calhoun and Parsons. Ross was the Senior Vice President of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs at Nawah Energy (Barakah NPP, UAE) and served as an Executive Advisor to NuScale Power in its early years. He is currently supporting Holtec’s Palisades NPP restart and has served as an IAEA expert consultant on missions to over a dozen new-to-nuclear countries. 

His leadership roles span operations, training, licensing, regulatory affairs, probabilistic risk assessment, operating procedure development, and cultural transformation initiatives—most notably leading the creation of the world’s first Nuclear English Standard and the first Integrated Management System for Middle Eastern nuclear projects.

Ross also brings a unique blend of technical depth and human-centric leadership, with extensive certifications in natural health and neuro-linguistic programming. He is a U.S. Navy Commander (Ret.) with TS/SCI clearance and holds degrees in Nuclear Engineering Technology, Sociology, and an Executive MBA.

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