Luis

Reflecting its strong business ties to Mexico, San Diego-based Sempra Energy Friday named Luis Tellez, a business and high-ranking national government leader in Mexico City, to its board of directors, expanding the board’s number to 11 directors. Tellez, 47, is managing director of the Carlyle Group private investment firm’s Mexico City office. Prior to joining Carlyle, Tellez was an executive vice president with one of Mexico’s largest companies, DESC, SA de CV, and held several senior positions in the Mexican federal government. Tellez served as Mexico’s Secretary of Energy from 1997 to 2000, during which he led the restructuring of the Mexican electricity industry. It was Tellez’s efforts that opened up more opportunities for private investment in Mexico’s power industry, something that Sempra and other U.S.-based companies rushed to take advantage of. Tellez also served as chief of staff to former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. With a bachelor’s degree from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, and an economics doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tellez has gained past interest in U.S. news media as a rising leader in Mexico.