New board chair at Bristol Energy

Bristol City Council has announced the appointment of four new people to the board of Bristol Energy.

Stephen Robertson will assume the role of chair of Bristol Energy’s board, taking over from interim Alex Wiseman, who remains on as non-executive director.

An experienced chairman and non-executive director, Robertson has worked in businesses across the retail and financial sectors with a strong customer focus.

He is currently chairman of Retail Economics, a research consultancy, as well as a non-executive director of Hargreaves Lansdown plc, a financial service company, Timpson Group, a retail service provider, and also senior independent director at Clipper Logistics plc, a retail logistics company.

Robertson’s appointment is supplemented by the addition of Bethan Evans, a lawyer and expert in administrative law and governance,  Alan Mather, an experienced leader holding board level roles in public and private sector organisations, and Peter Madden, current professor of practice in city futures at Cardiff University. This new trio will all serve as independent non-executive directors.

In January, the Council-owned supplier reported an £11.2 million loss in the 2017/2018 financial year. 

And then in February, the company claimed to be the first supplier in the UK to sell heat “as a service”.

Earlier this month, it also launched a 100 per cent green energy tariff below the price cap. 

Marek Majewicz, managing director at Bristol Energy, commented: “We are committed to supporting Bristol hit ambitious social and environmental goals and I’m looking forward to working with our new board members to make this happen. Our strategy over the coming financial year is to focus on growing our customer base both locally and nationally and offering additional innovative energy services, such as our first to market ‘Heat as Service’ plan.

“This is the start of an exciting new phase of growth for Bristol Energy.”

Stephen Robertson, incoming chair of the board of directors at Bristol Energy, said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to join the Bristol Energy board and welcome the opportunity to play a role in the company’s continued growth. The founding principles of tackling fuel poverty in Bristol and bringing to market cleaner and sustainable energy options are high priorities for me as is ensuring the company continues to deliver good value for its current and new customers.

“There are a number of exciting opportunities ahead of the company as we enter a new phase that will see us play a pivotal role in delivering the city’s landmark City Leap programme. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues on the board, the company’s management team and the shareholder to ensure Bristol Energy continues on its journey of success.”

Councillor Craig Cheney, deputy mayor with responsibility for finance, governance and performance at Bristol City Council, added: “We’re delighted to welcome those joining the boards of Bristol Energy, Bristol Waste and Goram Homes. The process we went through to identify, interview and appoint our new members was detailed and has resulted in securing the services of some highly experienced and talented people.

“It’s vital to any governing body that their members bring with them a range of knowledge and experiences to support their respective management teams in delivering the ambitions of the company and stakeholder.

“I look forward to working with all board members in future to continue the growth of our companies and successful delivery of positive impacts for Bristol.”