Company: Sempra, San Diego, CA
Company Description: Sempra is a leading North American energy infrastructure company focused on delivering energy to nearly 40 million consumers. As owner of one of the largest energy networks on the continent, Sempra is electrifying and improving the energy resilience of some of the world's most significant economic markets, including California, Texas, Mexico and global energy markets.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Woman of the Year - Industry
 Nomination Title: Karen Sedgwick, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2022 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 199 words used.
Karen Sedgwick is Sempra's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), serving as a strategic partner to the organization’s executive team and its stakeholders. Sedgwick leads corporate functions, including accounting, treasury, tax, finance and investor relations. Under her leadership, her teams exemplify Sempra’s high-performance culture by delivering strong, consistent results. Sedgwick has fostered an inclusive environment that empowers her teams to share ideas and opinions that actively contribute to both their own success and that of the organization. Building off record 2023 financial results and continuing to create greater trust and value for shareholders, she is advancing Sempra’s mission to be North America’s premier energy infrastructure company.
Sedgwick has been a women leader in the energy sector for over 32 years. Prior to being CFO, Sedgwick was chief administrative officer (CAO) and chief human resources officer (CHRO) at Sempra. During this time, she championed employee engagement, including additional training, team building and resources introduced to support hybrid and flexible work arrangements. She also supported comprehensive training programs to promote a culture of diversity and inclusion, reaching employees at all levels of the organization.
Other roles served include financial planning, investor relations, audit services and enterprise risk management roles.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 92 words used.
In Sedgwick's role as executive vice president & CFO, the following articles and press release demonstrate her knowledge of business strategy, as well as her leadership, which is driving the company to deliver results:
In her role as CHRO, Sedgwick helped to create a stong high-performance culture that embraced diversity and inclusion. Her success can be seen in the various awards that Sempra received celebrating the company's open and inclusive workplace environment:
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 245 words used.
As Sempra’s CFO, Sedgwick’s leadership and steadfastness has enabled the company to see meaningful earnings growth, whilst delivering on its commitment to safety and operational excellence, including:
- Stewarding Sempra’s largest ever capital plan of $48 billion to electrify and improve the energy resilience of some of the world's most significant economic markets, including California, Texas, Mexico and global energy markets.
- Announcing the raising of annualized common stock dividend for 14th consecutive year.
- Confirming Sempra’s adjusted EPS guidance, which has been met or exceeded for the last six years.
- Introducing a $30 billion System Resiliency Plan (SRP) of potential capital investments for Sempra Texas.
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Previously, in her role as CHRO, Sedgwick:
- Helped to build Sempra’s diverse and inclusive workforce that includes 60% people of color and 36% of women in leadership.
- Created a thriving work environment with 6% turnover rate, which is substantially below the industry average.
- Fostered corporate and employee philanthropy, especially in the communities where employees work and live, resulting in $2.5 billion spent with diverse suppliers, over $40 million in charitable contributions by the Sempra family of companies and the Sempra Foundation and 2,700 organizations received donations of time and money, comprising nearly 40,000 volunteer hours and approximately $7 million by employees in 2023.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
The average tenure of executives in the energy industry, including women, is approximately 6.5 years and, with women underrepresented in senior management roles, about 14% of senior managers, Karen Sedgwick’s impressive 32-year tenure in the energy industry stands out.
Her extensive experience spans a variety of leadership roles, including investor relations, human resources, audit and enterprise-risk management. This diverse background equips her with a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s multifaceted challenges, underscoring her unique ability to navigate and lead Sempra through complex financial landscapes.
The afore mentioned achievements highlight Sedgwick’s financial leadership and strategic vision through capital management, overseeing Sempra’s largest ever capital plan and her focus on shareholder value, as the company consistently raises dividends and outperforms utility peers in total shareholder return. Her forward-looking capabilities, managing growth and investments, will help provide access to more reliable, modern energy networks to support cleaner forms of energy and future economic growth, especially in the communities where Sempra operates.
Sedgwick’s influence can be seen in Sempra’s high-performance culture, where she has created a workplace environment that is diverse and inclusive, encouraging idea sharing and innovation to drive success for the company, its employees and the communities it serves.
Her varied roles within Sempra, provide her with a unique perspectives and comprehensive understanding of both financial and human capital, enabling her to drive success through a balanced approach. This holistic approach and seasoned expertise make her an invaluable asset, setting her apart as a trailblazer in the energy sector.
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