La Cortez Energy Appoints New CEO and President

La Cortez Energy, an early stage oil and gas exploration and production company, has appointed Andres Rivera as CEO, president and director, effective June 1, 2008.

With over 23 years of industry experience, Mr Gutierrez was most recently the senior executive of Lewis Energy Colombia. In this role he was responsible for all aspects of Lewis Energy’s operational management and its business development initiatives in Colombia.

Prior to joining Lewis Energy, Mr Gutierrez was briefly a consultant with Upside Energy & Mining Services, in charge of the execution of various consulting projects related to the oil and gas divisions of several multinational companies.

Nadine Smith, chairman of La Cortez Energy, said: “I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Andres Rivera as our CEO and president, and a member of the board of directors of La Cortez Energy. The objective of our company is to develop a substantial exploration and production company in South America, with an initial focus in Colombia.

“Our company will be run by seasoned South American oil and gas executives with experience and knowledge in the energy industry, and Mr Gutierrez is a key addition to our management team.”