On the Move: New CEO for EU Skills

Energy & Utility Skills has appointed Phil Beach, currently of Ofqual, as its new chief executive, Utility Week has learnt.

Beach, who is executive director for vocational and technical qualifications at the exams regulator, succeeds Nick Ellins, who steps down at the end of July after five years in post.

Beach officially takes over the role on 21 September, with company secretary and finance & assurance director, Rachel Thomas, providing interim cover as acting managing director from August.

Before joining Ofqual, Beach served in the Royal Air Force, with much of his career focused on command, leadership, strategy, policy and capability. He received an MBE in the 2000 New Year’s Honours List, a Queen’s Commendation in 2004 and a CBE in 2014.

EU Skills chair, Jan Ward CBE, said: “We are delighted to appoint Phil as our new chief executive, at a key moment when our Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership has just set out our sector workforce plan for 2020-2025, and the Energy & Utility Skills board has agreed our five-year strategy and business plans. Phil impressed us with his extensive experience of working with senior stakeholders, managing complex strategy involving multiple organisations and having an intimate knowledge of the skills agenda across the UK.”

Beach said “I am delighted to be joining Energy and Utility Skills at such an important time for the organisation and the sector. The workforce plan for 2020-2025 paints a clear picture of the skills needs of the sector and I am really excited to be involved in delivering this critically important strategy, working closely with the Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership.”

EIC

In other appointments news, former Ofgem chair David Gray has joined EIC (formerly the Energy Innovation Centre) in the same role.

He replaces former Eon UK chief executive, Tony Cocker, who took on the role in 2018.

Gray was executive director of Ofgem from 2003 to 2007 and went on to become chair in 2013, stepping down after five years.

He previously held senior positions at HSBC as global head of energy and utilities investment banking, as well as non-executive roles for various organisations including Pitkin Petroleum, the UK Civil Aviation Authority, and Halite Energy. His current roles include chairing Mutual Energy and as a non-executive director of Tokamak Energy.

He said: “I joined the EIC because it plays a crucial role in helping achieve the UK’s net zero carbon targets, something which affects us all and I’m deeply passionate about. The EIC increases the pace and scope of innovation across the gas, electricity and more recently the rail sectors, which in turn helps meet the societal and environmental challenges we all face in creating a sustainable and affordable energy and rail future.”

Denise Massey, managing director at the EIC, said: “David is highly experienced and respected in the industry and we are delighted that David has joined us. “We are a fast-growing business and his experience and depth of understanding will be a great asset in helping further our mission to accelerate innovation for the utility and rail industries. I would like to personally thank Tony Cocker for his commitment to the EIC over the last 2 years, we have achieved a lot together in a relatively short time.”

Cocker said: “I’m incredibly proud of what has been achieved at the EIC during my two years as chairman – the organisation has gone from strength-to-strength and has facilitated invaluable partnerships that have had a measurable impact on the industry and on consumers. I would like to wish David, Denise, and the rest of the EIC team the best of luck for the future, and I’m looking forward to seeing the continued impact of the EIC’s work in the coming years.”