SAN DIEGO, July 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) today announced that Martha B. Wyrsch will join the company Sept. 3 as its executive vice president and general counsel. 

Wyrsch, who will report to Debra L. Reed, Sempra Energy's chairman and CEO, will be responsible for Sempra Energy's legal affairs and compliance oversight, and also serve as the company's chief environmental officer.  Wyrsch, 55, succeeds Javade Chaudhri, who earlier this year announced his upcoming retirement from the company.

"We are very pleased that Martha Wyrsch has agreed to join Sempra Energy," said Reed.  "She is a strong addition to our senior management team.  Her deep experience in the energy industry will be invaluable both in her role as general counsel and as a broad-based business partner."

Most recently, from 2009 to 2012, Wyrsch served as president of Vestas American Wind Systems, the Portland, Ore.-based affiliate of Danish-owned Vestas Wind Systems A/S.  As president, she had direct responsibility for all North American sales, construction, service and maintenance.  As chair of the Vestas North American Regional Council, she also had coordinating oversight of North American-based manufacturing, supply chain and other support functions.

Previously, Wyrsch spent nearly 10 years at Duke Energy and its spin-off, Spectra Energy Corp.  She joined Duke Energy in 1999 as senior vice president of legal affairs and deputy counsel and, later, was promoted to group vice president and general counsel.  In 2005, she moved to Duke Energy Gas Transmission as its president and CEO.  Subsequently, she became the president and CEO of Spectra Energy Transmission overseeing its natural gas transmission and storage business in the U.S. and Canada, as well as its gathering, processing and distribution businesses in Canada.

Prior to joining Duke Energy, Wyrsch worked at KN Energy, Inc., from 1991 to 1999 in a variety of senior roles, including vice president, general counsel and secretary. 

Previously, Wyrsch was an attorney with Davis, Graham & Stubbs in Denver, specializing in corporate law, with a focus on oil and gas, real estate transactions, as well as securities and finance filings.  From 1980 to 1983, she was a legislative assistant to former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), responsible for matters in the areas of energy, environment, health and safety, transportation and banking.

Wyrsch currently serves on the boards of directors of SPX Corp. and Spectris plc.  Her past board memberships include the American Wind Energy Association, National Infrastructure Advisory Council Board, National Petroleum Council, Spectra Energy Corp. and Interstate Natural Gas Association

A native of Laramie, Wyo., Wyrsch holds a law degree from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Wyoming.  She also completed Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.

Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2012 revenues of approximately $10 billion.  The Sempra Energy companies' nearly 17,000 employees serve about 31 million consumers worldwide.

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SOURCE Sempra Energy