MGM Mirage exec leaving for NV Energy

By Steve Green

Published Friday, April 3, 2009 | 12:51 p.m.

Updated Friday, April 3, 2009 | 5:12 p.m.

Punam Mathur, a longtime executive with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and MGM Mirage known for her work in workplace diversity, is joining NV Energy as vice president, human resources, effective April 29.

NV Energy announced the appointment Friday.

At MGM Mirage, where Mathur is senior vice president, corporate diversity and community affairs, she said in a note to employees today: “I’m leaving knowing that our company at every level fully embodies an unwavering commitment to make diversity a strategic part of our everyday lives. I am so appreciative of the amazing level of passion and enthusiasm that I have enjoyed with all of my colleagues. These years have been among my most treasured.’’

"Although the offer from NV Energy was unsolicited, it was simply too compelling to pass up as it affords new challenges and the opportunity to continue working to improve our community,” she said.

MGM Mirage Chairman and Chief Executive Jim Murren also commented to employees about Mathur today.

“We are deeply indebted to Punam for developing wide-ranging diversity, philanthropic and community relations programs to serve our company’s needs,” he said in the note. “Her leadership in each of these areas has helped to reflect MGM Mirage’s objective of meaningfully engaging in our community.’’

He said a search would be launched to find a successor within the company to replace Mathur.

Mathur came from the Mirage Resorts side of the merger that created MGM Mirage, now the biggest casino resort operator in Las Vegas and developer of the $8.7 billion CityCenter gaming, entertainment, hotel and residential complex on the Las Vegas Strip.

Before it was acquired by MGM Grand in 2000, Mathur was Mirage Resorts' chief governmental lobbyist. She moved to Mirage in 1996 from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, which she joined in 1990 as director of marketing and where she later became director of governmental affairs.

At NV Energy, Chief Executive Officer Michael Yackira said in a statement, "Punam brings to our company a broad range of leadership experience that not only will have a positive impact on our company but on the communities we serve throughout the state of Nevada. The broad spectrum of her professional and community accomplishments is extremely impressive."

At NV Energy, Mathur will serve in a newly created position. Human resources formerly was the responsibility of Steve Wood, senior vice president of administration, who also had other areas to oversee. He retired in October.

Mathur chairs the Board of Trustees for Three Square, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating hunger in southern Nevada. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Habitat for Humanity-Las Vegas. She is a member of the president's advisory task force on diversity at UNLV; co-chair of the Nevada Partnership for Inclusive Education; and is on the board of advisors for Nevada State College and the Clark County School District Superintendent's Education Network.

"I will be forever grateful to the leaders and employees of MGM Mirage for the experience of creating together a nationally recognized diversity initiative," Mathur said in a statement issued by NV Energy. "I am excited to be joining an NV Energy management team that also places tremendous emphasis on diversity initiatives and other cutting-edge human resource programs."

In an interview last month, Mathur said that despite cutbacks caused by the recession she and her team were committed to maintaining the momentum of the diversity program at MGM Mirage, which has been credited with leading the gaming industry in not only creating a culture of diversity but in assessing and publicly reporting on its diversity efforts.

During her 13-year tenure, MGM Mirage received numerous awards in her areas of responsibility, including being ranked among the "Top 50 Companies for Diversity" by DiversityInc magazine and one of the "Top Corporations in the U.S." for multicultural businesses by DiversityBusiness.com.

In 2006, Mathur was inducted into the "Women's Hall of Fame" by the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Nevada. Other honors have included the "Community Enrichment Award in Civil Rights" by the Las Vegas Urban Chamber of Commerce; named a "Woman of Distinction" by the National Association of Women Business Owners of Southern Nevada and among the "Top 100 Women in Corporate America" by Woman 3.0 magazine.