SAN DIEGO, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra Energy today announced that Carlos Ruiz has been named chairman and CEO of the company's Mexican operating subsidiary, Sempra Mexico.

Ruiz served on Sempra Energy's corporate board of directors from 2007 until earlier this week.  In his newly created position, Ruiz will be responsible for management of all of Sempra Energy's Mexican operations.

Sempra Mexico is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of Sempra International, one of Sempra Energy's four principal operating divisions.  Sempra Mexico has nearly 400 employees and more than $2 billion in assets, including natural gas pipelines and distribution utilities, a liquefied natural gas receipt terminal and a natural gas-fired power plant.  The company also is developing a major wind energy project in northern Baja California, Mexico.

"With his extensive experience in Mexico's energy, infrastructure and finance sectors, Carlos Ruiz has the necessary expertise and leadership to manage this critical segment of our business as it continues to grow," said Debra L. Reed, CEO of Sempra Energy.

Ruiz is a partner in an investment banking and infrastructure project firm, Proyectos Estrategicos Integrales, S.C.  He also serves on several boards of directors, including Southern Copper Corp. and OHL Concesiones Mexico, S.A. de C.V.  These firms have no business relationship with Sempra Energy or any of its affiliates.

Prior to joining Proyectos Estrategicos Integrales, S.C. in 2001, Ruiz spent six years serving as Mexico's Secretary of Communications and Transportation, where he oversaw the restructuring of the country's communications and transportation sectors to increase investment, broaden competition and improve infrastructure. Previously, he served in several posts at the Central Bank of Mexico, the Mexican Treasury and with PEMEX, Mexico's largest company.

Ruiz holds a bachelor's degree from Anahuac University in Mexico City and a master's degree in business administration from Northwestern University in Chicago.

Also today, Sempra Energy announced that Arturo Infanzon has been named to the newly created position of chief operating officer for Sempra Mexico.  Infanzon has served as vice president of Mexican operations for Sempra International since January. 

Previously, Infanzon was vice president and director of operations for Sempra Pipelines & Storage, which became part of Sempra International in January.  He also has served as controller of operations in Mexico and general manager for ECOGAS, Sempra Energy's gas distribution utility in Mexico.  Prior to joining Sempra Energy in 1997, Infanzon worked for Price Waterhouse and First National Bank.  He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Universidad Autonoma de Baja California in Mexico and a master's degree in finance from San Diego State University.

Sempra International distributes energy and operates in competitive energy markets of the Americas.  Its subsidiaries develop, build and operate energy infrastructure assets, and distribute natural gas in Mexico and electricity to customers in Chile and Peru.

Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2011 revenues of $10 billion. The Sempra Energy companies' 17,500 employees serve more than 31 million consumers worldwide.

This press release contains statements that are not historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements can be identified by words like "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "potential," "target," "outlook," "depends," "pursue" or similar expressions, or discussions of guidance, strategies, plans, goals, initiatives, objectives or intentions.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance.  They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions.  Future results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon various assumptions involving judgments with respect to the future and other risks, including, among others: local, regional, national and international economic, competitive, political, legislative and regulatory conditions and developments; actions by the California Public Utilities Commission, California State Legislature, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, California Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board, and other regulatory, governmental and environmental bodies in the United States and other countries where the company does business; capital market conditions, including the availability of credit and the liquidity of investments; inflation, interest and exchange rates; the impact of benchmark interest rates, generally the U.S. Treasury bond and Moody's A-rated utility bond yields, on the California utilities' cost of capital; the timing and success of business development efforts and construction, maintenance and capital projects, including risks inherent in the ability to obtain, and the timing of the granting of, permits, licenses, certificates and other authorizations; energy markets, including the timing and extent of changes and volatility in commodity prices; the availability of electric power, natural gas and liquefied natural gas, including disruptions caused by failures in the North American transmission grid, pipeline explosions and equipment failures; weather conditions, natural disasters, catastrophic accidents, and conservation efforts; risks inherent in nuclear power generation and radioactive materials storage, including catastrophic release of such materials; risks posed by decisions and actions of third parties who control the operations of investments in which the company does not have a controlling interest; wars, terrorist attacks and cyber security threats; business, regulatory, environmental and legal decisions and requirements; expropriation of assets by foreign governments and title and other property disputes; the status of deregulation of retail natural gas and electricity delivery; the inability or determination not to enter into long-term supply and sales agreements or long-term firm capacity agreements; the resolution of litigation; and other uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the company.  These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that Sempra Energy has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on the company's website at www.sempra.com.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forecasts or projections or other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Sempra International, LLC, and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, LLC, are not the same companies as San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) or Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and Sempra International and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Note: Formerly known entities Sempra Generation, Sempra LNG and Sempra Pipelines & Storage have now been realigned under Sempra International and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power.

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SOURCE Sempra Energy