HARTFORD, Conn. and BOSTON, Mass. (September 12, 2013) Northeast Utilities (NYSE: NU) has appointed three current executives to new roles within its electric operating companies. The move is in keeping with NU’s mission to structure its operations in a way that will best serve its approximately 3.6 million customers across New England.

NU has appointed Bill Quinlan as President and Chief Operating Officer of Public Service of New Hampshire. In his new role, Quinlan will be responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of PSNH’s infrastructure, as well as the safe and reliable delivery of electricity to its more than 500,000 customers.

Quinlan is currently the Senior Vice President of Emergency Preparedness for Connecticut Light and Power, responsible for leading the company’s preparation and response to emergencies. He also served as CL&P’s executive spokesperson during Superstorm Sandy and was instrumental in achieving tremendous improvements in Connecticut storm response.

“Bill has been a valuable part of the NU family for 29 years. He has been successful in many leadership roles with the company and has a proven track record of operational excellence at CL&P,” said Lee Olivier, Northeast Utilities’ Chief Operating Officer. “He has an incredible depth of knowledge of our industry and an enthusiasm for continuously improving the efficiency and reliability of the electric system.”

Quinlan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at Villanova University. He received a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Haven and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Assuming the new role of Senior Vice President of Emergency Preparedness for Northeast Utilities is Peter Clarke, current Western Massachusetts Electric Company President and Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Clarke will be responsible for strategically coordinating preparation and response efforts for storms and other major emergencies across the Northeast Utilities organization.

As president of WMECo, Clarke has overseen the company’s operations and electrical distribution system that serves 200,000 customers. He successfully re-engineered storm response improvements after a devastating ice storm in 2008 and received high marks for leading WMECo’s response in the wake of devastating tornadoes in 2011. Clarke brings more than 30 years of utility operations experience to his new role. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, from Northeastern University in Boston and a Masters of Business Administration from Boston University. He will be based at the company’s Berlin, Connecticut campus.

Craig Hallstrom, currently President of NSTAR Electric, will now serve as President for both WMECo and NSTAR Electric and will be in charge of electric operations for NU’s 1.3 million customers in Massachusetts. The move consolidates leadership for all of NU’s electric distribution operations in the commonwealth. Hallstrom has a well-established reputation for delivering operational excellence with a focus on emergency response and employee safety. In addition to effectively managing critical day-to-day operations, he has overseen several complex reliability improvement projects and safety initiatives at NSTAR Electric.

Hallstrom is a 32-year veteran of the utility industry, with extensive experience leading distribution, dispatch and construction operations. He holds an MBA from Northeastern University and a Bachelors of Science in Business Management from Merrimack College.

“Bill, Peter and Craig are extremely knowledgeable, effective leaders with a wealth of experience here at NU and in the industry,” added Olivier. “They bring to their new positions unique perspectives and talents, and most importantly a strong commitment to excellence, customer service and safety.”