Westinghouse Electric Co. has named Danny Roderick its chief executive officer and one of two presidents, the Cranberry-based nuclear energy company announced today.

Mr. Roderick, 52, has worked in the nuclear industry for more than 30 years, most recently as senior vice president of nuclear plant projects at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy in Wilmington, N.C.

He replaces Shigenori Shiga, the Westinghouse board chairman who was appointed interim CEO after longtime Westinghouse executive Jim Ferland resigned in April after two days in the top job.

Mr. Shiga will remain as board chairman.

The company employs about 6,000 workers in the western Pennsylvania region, most of whom work out of a two-year-old campus in Cranberry.

Westinghouse was sold to Toshiba in 2006.

Mr. Roderick brings extensive international experience to the firm, which in recent months has announced a string of exploratory contracts for nuclear sites in Europe.

Mr. Roderick's team at GE-Hitachi recently explored building a nuclear site in Saudi Arabia, among other places. He has a master's and bachelor's degree in engineering.

Ric Perez, who was named president and chief operating officer of the company in April, will keep both titles, according to the company.

First Published: September 26, 2012, 8:00 p.m.