Deborah Martin is the vice president of people and culture and chief diversity officer for Sempra. In this role, Martin is responsible for employee acquisition, development and retention at Sempra corporate center. She leads enterprise-wide functions including benefits, ethics and investigations and diversity and inclusion, all to advance Sempra’s high-performance culture where employees enjoy a sense of belonging. 

Martin worked as an attorney prior to her leadership roles in human resources at Sempra, including serving as Sempra’s chief employment counsel. Before joining Sempra’s legal department in 2010, she was a partner at the Sheppard Mullin law firm.  

Martin serves on the executive board as past president for the California Employment Law Council. She has also previously served on a number of professional group boards including Santa Barbara Women Lawyers, Santa Barbara Human Resources Association, Association of Business Trial Lawyers and the Association of Corporate Counsel where she chaired the pro bono service committee. Martin was also on the founding board for Casa Esperanza, now known as PATH Santa Barbara, a shelter and service provider for people experiencing homelessness.