CenterPoint Energy announces leadership changes

Richard C Leger Appointed permanent head of CenterPoint Energy Gas business

Bertha Villatoro appointed Chief Human Resources Officer

Current CHRO Lynne Harkel-Rumford is retiring

HOUSTON, December 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today announced several leadership changes that will take effect January 1, 2025. These changes include the appointment of Richard C. Leger as senior vice president of CenterPoint’s nationwide gas business Bertha Villatoro as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Since then, Leger has temporarily held a top position at Gas July 2024. He will report to the President and Chief Executive Officer Jason Wells. Villatoro will report to the Executive Vice President and General Counsel Monica Karuturi.

Lynne Harkel Rumfordwho currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, overseeing all HR functions and Community Relations, will be retiring effective February 3, 2024. She will remain with CenterPoint as a senior advisor Jason Wells until their retirement.

“I would like to thank Lynne for her years of unwavering commitment throughout her 25-year CenterPoint career. It has left a real and lasting impact on our employees, customers and communities. In addition to her contributions to the company, she is passionate about addressing community hunger issues around the world Greater Houston area region and has worked tirelessly to support the cause,” Wells said. “We will miss Lynne’s guidance and advice and I wish her and her family my very best wishes in their well-deserved retirement.”

Throughout her CenterPoint career, Harkel-Rumford has taken on increasing leadership roles beyond human resources. Prior to her retirement, she was responsible for, among other things, community relations, communications and marketing, facilities and corporate security.

“Richard and Bertha are two of our talented leaders who help drive our culture of innovation, continuous improvement and accountability,” Wells said. “I would like to thank Richard for the decisive and thoughtful leadership he has demonstrated while leading the 3,500-employee gas organization on an interim basis and for his willingness to take on ever-increasing responsibilities. I would also like to thank Bertha for her willingness to step up. “I look forward to assuming full leadership of our HR organization in this expanded role.”

Richard C Leger
Leger will permanently lead all aspects of the company’s natural gas business, which serves approximately 4.2 million customers in six states. During his 24 years at CenterPoint and its predecessor companies, Leger held various utility leadership positions with responsibility for natural gas and electric operations, regulatory affairs and business process optimization.

He is a board member of the American Gas Association, the Southern Gas Association and the United Way of Southwest Indiana and golf gives something back. He is also a past chair of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance. Leger also served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for six years. He earned two bachelor’s degrees in accounting and marketing McNeese State University.

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

Throughout her career, she has held numerous roles of increasing responsibility at CenterPoint Energy, Children Morgan and El Paso Corporation. In her successively larger leadership positions, she was responsible for total rewards, talent management and development, employee services, HR 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 Target Hunger in Houston.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor-owned electricity and gas supplier based in TexasCenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy utility with electric transmission and distribution, electric generation and natural gas distribution operations, serving more than 7 million metered customers Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, OhioAnd Texas. Away September 30, 2024the company owned approx 43 billion dollars 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 press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s assumptions that are believed to be reasonable at the time 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. All statements contained in this press release regarding future events that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking information provided include risks and uncertainties associated with: (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 Energy’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 Quarters 2024 and September 30, 2024, as well as other reports that CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may submit from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc