March 27 (Reuters) - FirstEnergy Corp said on Monday it appointed Blackstone Inc executive Brian Tierney as its president and chief executive officer, effective June 1.

Tierney, 55, would take charge from interim chief John Somerhalder II, who would continue to serve as the U.S. utility firm's board chair.

The appointment makes Tierney FirstEnergy's first permanent CEO since Steven Strah announced his retirement in September after steering the company through bribery charges that were later settled in July 2021.

Tierney, currently the global head of portfolio operations and asset management at Blackstone, previously was the finance chief of American Electric Power Co Inc.

Tierney is a "strong choice" for FirstEnergy, brokerage Guggenheim said in a note, adding that the appointment will help reverse the bear sentiment around the company.

The company's shares, down nearly 7% this year, fell marginally in early trading. (Reporting by Sourasis Bose in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)