CenterPoint Energy announces senior leadership changes

Rhea-AI Summary

CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) announced key leadership changes effective January 1, 2025. Richard C. Leger has been appointed Senior Vice President of the company's multi-state Gas business, following his interim role since July 2024. Bertha Villatoro has been elevated to Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

Current Executive VP and CHRO Lynne Harkel-Rumford will retire on February 3, 2024, after a 25-year career with the company. Leger will oversee operations serving 4.2 million customers across six states, while Villatoro will manage talent development, compensation, benefits, labor relations, and organizational development.

Positive

• Smooth leadership transition with internal promotions indicating strong succession planning
• Appointment of experienced executive (24-year tenure) to lead Gas business serving 4.2M customers
• New CHRO brings 20 years of energy sector HR experience and multiple professional certifications

Negative

• Loss of 25-year veteran executive with broad operational experience

Richard C. Leger appointed to lead CenterPoint Energy Gas business on a permanent basis

Bertha Villatoro elevated to Chief Human Resources Officer

Current CHRO Lynne Harkel-Rumford to retire

HOUSTON, Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today announced several senior leadership changes which will take effect on January 1, 2025. Those changes include the appointments of Richard C. Leger as Senior Vice President of CenterPoint's multi-state Gas business and Bertha Villatoro as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Leger has served in the current lead Gas role on an interim basis since July 2024. He will report to President & Chief Executive Officer Jason Wells. Villatoro will report to Executive Vice President and General Counsel Monica Karuturi.

Lynne Harkel-Rumford, who currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer and oversees all HR functions as well as Community Relations, will retire effective February 3, 2024. She will remain with CenterPoint as a senior advisor to Jason Wells until her retirement.

"I want to thank Lynne for her years of unwavering service during her 25-year CenterPoint career. She made real and lasting impacts for our employees, customers and communities. In addition to her contributions to the business, she's been a passionate community advocate for hunger issues across the Greater Houston region and has worked tirelessly to support the cause," said Wells. "We will miss Lynne's guidance and counsel and I extend my very best wishes to her and her family in her well-deserved retirement."  

During her CenterPoint career, Harkel-Rumford has taken on successively larger leadership roles beyond HR. Before retirement, her span of control included Community Relations, Communications & Marketing, Facilities and Corporate Security and Safety. 

"Richard and Bertha are two of our gifted executives who help drive our culture of innovation, continuous improvement and accountability," said Wells. "I want to thank Richard for the determined and thoughtful leadership he's exhibited while leading the 3,500-person Gas organization on an interim basis and his willingness to take on ever-increasing responsibilities. I also want to thank Bertha for being willing to step-up in this expanded role and take on the full leadership of our HR organization. I look forward to working with both of them for years to come."

Richard C. Leger
Leger will lead on a permanent basis all areas of the company's natural gas business that serves approximately 4.2 million customers across a six-state footprint. During his 24-year tenure with CenterPoint and its predecessor companies, Leger has held diverse utility leadership roles of increasing responsibly across the natural gas and electric operations, regulatory affairs, and business process optimization.

He is a board member of the American Gas Association, Southern Gas Association, United Way of Southwestern Indiana and Golf Gives Back. He is also former chair of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance. Leger also served six years in the Louisiana Army National Guard. He earned two bachelor's degrees in accounting and marketing from McNeese State University.

Bertha Villatoro
Villatoro has nearly 20 years of business and human resources leadership experience across the energy sector. As CenterPoint's CHRO, she will oversee talent development, compensation and benefits, labor relations, and learning and organizational development.

During her career, she has served numerous roles with increasing responsibility at CenterPoint Energy, Kinder Morgan and El Paso Corporation. In her successively larger leadership roles, she has been responsible for total rewards, talent management and development, employee services, human resources IT systems, and HR compliance.

Villatoro received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Texas A&M University and a master's degree in business administration from Rice University. She is a Society for Human Resource Management-Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), a Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP). Bertha is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Target Hunger in Houston.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, and Texas. As of September 30, 2024, the company owned approximately $43 billion in assets. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statement
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding future events that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the provided forward-looking information include risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) CenterPoint Energy's business strategies and strategic initiatives; (2) financial market conditions; (3) general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory and legislative decisions; and (5) other factors, risks and uncertainties discussed in CenterPoint Energy's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and CenterPoint's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024, and September 30, 2024 and other reports CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, contact
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com

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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc

FAQ

When will CenterPoint Energy's (CNP) new leadership appointments take effect?

The new leadership appointments at CenterPoint Energy will take effect on January 1, 2025.

Who is replacing Lynne Harkel-Rumford as CenterPoint Energy's (CNP) CHRO?

Bertha Villatoro will replace Lynne Harkel-Rumford as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

How many customers does CenterPoint Energy's (CNP) gas business serve?

CenterPoint Energy's gas business serves approximately 4.2 million customers across a six-state footprint.

When will current CenterPoint Energy (CNP) CHRO Lynne Harkel-Rumford retire?

Lynne Harkel-Rumford will retire effective February 3, 2024, but will remain as a senior advisor until then.

How long has Richard Leger been with CenterPoint Energy (CNP)?

Richard Leger has been with CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies for 24 years.