ATLANTA -- Southern Company President and Chief Operating Officer Allen Franklin today announced the selection of C. Philip Saunders as senior vice president of Southern Company Services and chief information officer for Southern Company.

In this role, Saunders will control information resources and technology functions, including all computer, telecommunications, information systems and networks. Saunders also will spearhead the implementation of Southern Company’s aggressive Internet and e-business strategy, announced last year.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Phil to add value to our information resources organization and to Southern Company. The breadth of his experience provides a unique platform to successfully carry our technological initiatives into the 21st century,” says Franklin.

Saunders, 48, returns to Southern Company from subsidiary Mirant, where he most recently served as chief commercial officer of Mirant Europe. Saunders previously held the title of supply director at South Western Electricity (SWEB) in England, where his responsibilities included product development and marketing in a fully competitive retail market, and also served as SWEB’s commercial marketing director. Prior to his international appointments, Saunders was director of domestic business development for the western region and for power marketing at Southern Energy.

Saunders’ domestic industry experience is equally vast. His expertise includes information technology, marketing, engineering, and planning. Saunders was assistant to the senior vice president of marketing at Georgia Power and held management positions in bulk power services, industry structure issues, system planning and generation system analysis for Southern Company.

Saunders joined Southern Company in 1974 after completing undergraduate studies in electrical engineering at Auburn University.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an international energy company that operates more than 48,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity worldwide. Southern Company has operations in 12 countries on five continents. Based in Atlanta, Southern Company is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power, Savannah Electric and Mirant. Southern Company also provides energy-related marketing, risk management and technical services in the United States and Europe and offers Southern LINC wireless telecommunications.