Milton Scott Biography

1956—

Entrepreneur, executive

Milton Scott's appointments in corporate America have few parallels. As the first African American to become a partner in the audit practice at the international accounting firm of Arthur Andersen he influenced multi-million dollar deals and made important decisions that affected large segments of the telecommunications, technology and energy arenas at a time when the economy saw tremendous growth in those sectors. At Dynegy he was executive vice president and chief administrative officer responsible for several key divisions including Risk Management, Internal Audit, Supply Chain Management, and Human Resources, reporting to one of the most important players in the energy industry. As a managing partner of Complete Energy he uses his 25 years of accounting, finance and business experience to close deals on the purchase of multi-million dollar power plants.

Navigating deftly in the high-powered corporate waters of Houston, Texas, Scott's achievements have led him a long way from his childhood in Louisiana. Scott was born on November 21, 1956, in New Orleans and raised on a farm in St. Francisville, LA. He was one of eight children born to Bennett and Melnor Scott. He realized at an early age that he did not want to live on a farm for the rest of his life. "My father worked in a paper mill from 6:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. each day, changed his clothes, and worked on the farm until 10 at night," Scott said in an interview with Contemporary Black Biography (CBB). "I learned an incredible work ethic from him and I started from the bottom. My father had a seventh grade education and spent a lot of time teaching us that education was the way out. He always made sure we had food on the table and he gave a lot of what he raised to others." Because of this Scott says, "I believe in giving a lot back to the community and I understand how success in life should allow you to help others." About his mother Scott says, "She created a strong home environment and made sure we attended church."