HOUSTON, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Pipeline Group (CPG), a business unit of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), announced that Bruce L. Connery has joined the company as vice president of Investor Relations for CPG and Columbia Pipeline Partners (CPPL) (NYSE: CPPL). CPPL completed its initial public offering on February 11, 2015, and as previously announced, CPG is expected to separate from NiSource and become a stand-alone, publicly traded (NYSE: CPGX), pipeline, midstream and storage company in mid-2015. Randy G. Hulen will continue in his role as vice president of Investor Relations for NiSource after the separation.

"Bruce brings extensive investor relations experience to CPG," said Stephen P. Smith, NiSource's current executive vice president and chief financial officer. "He has a solid track record of working with energy and MLP investors and analysts in a timely, transparent and straightforward fashion. We are pleased to have him join the CPG leadership team."

Connery has served in a number of senior investor and communications roles prior to joining CPG, most recently as Group Head of Investor Relations of BG Group PLC in Reading, England. Prior to that, he served in several executive positions with El Paso Corporation and one of its predecessor companies, Sonat Inc.

Connery earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and holds Bachelor of Business Administration degrees from the University of Texas and Texas Tech University.

About Columbia Pipeline Group

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Columbia Pipeline Group (CPG) companies own and operate more than 15,000 miles of strategically located natural gas pipelines, integrated with one of the largest underground storage systems in North America. From the Gulf Coast to the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, their systems connect premium natural gas supplies with some of the nation's strongest energy markets, serving customers in more than 16 states. Approximately 1.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas flows through CPG pipeline and storage systems each year, providing competitively priced, clean energy for millions of homes, businesses and industries. Information about Columbia Pipeline Group can be found at columbiapipelinegroup.com.

About NiSource

NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), based in Merrillville, Ind., is a Fortune 500 company engaged in natural gas transmission, storage and distribution, as well as electric generation, transmission and distribution. NiSource operating companies deliver energy to 3.8 million customers located within the high-demand energy corridor stretching from the Gulf Coast through the Midwest to New England. Information about NiSource and its subsidiaries is available at www.nisource.com. NI-F

Forward Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Examples of forward-looking statements in this document include statements and expectations regarding the timing of the separation, as well as NiSource's business following the separation and the leadership of NiSource and Columbia Pipeline Group following the separation. For a discussion of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in such statements, please see "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in NiSource's 2014 Form 10-K and subsequent NiSource filings of Form 10-Q. The separation is subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions, including the final approval of NiSource's Board of Directors. There is no assurance that the separation will in fact occur.

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SOURCE Columbia Pipeline Group