PG&E Vice President to Be Named CIO in November

PG&E Corp. on Wednesday announced an interim organization structure as it conducts a national search and review of internal candidates to succeed the president and chief operating officer of its utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Karen Austin has announced that she will retire, effective Nov. 1. Kathy Kay, currently vice president of Business Technology, has been named as senior vice president and CIO. Before joining PG&E in 2015, Kay was enterprise chief technology officer at SunTrust Bank. She held earlier leadership roles with Comerica Bank and General Motors. Kay holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Wayne State University and a master's degree of engineering in management of technology from Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute. She will report to Laurie Giammona, senior vice president and chief customer officer.

“Karen has been a passionate advocate for the role of technology in our business," said Geisha Williams, chief executive officer and president of Pacific Gas and Electric. "As CIO, she drove critical investments in technology supporting safety in our lines of business while spurring innovation and speed of delivery. We wish her the very best in retirement, and we congratulate Kathy on her well-deserved promotion.”