NEW YORK (S&P Global Ratings) May 28, 2021--S&P Global Ratings today said that FirstEnergy Corp.'s (BB/Watch Neg/--) termination of Eileen Mikkelsen, its vice president for rates and regulatory affairs and acting vice president for external affairs, is incrementally credit negative and further highlights the company's governance and cultural weaknesses under its former CEO. FirstEnergy stated that Ms. Mikkelsen's separation was related to her inaction regarding the 2015 amendment of a previously disclosed consulting agreement between FirstEnergy and an entity associated with an individual, who in 2019 was appointed to a full-time role as an Ohio government official directly involved in regulating the company's Ohio electric utility subsidiaries (Ohio Edison Co., The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., and The Toledo Edison Co.),