On the move | Eon shakes up board; former Southern Water CEO becomes chair of consultancy

In our latest round-up of industry appointments, Eon Group has announced a shakeup of its board and Southern Water’s former chief takes up a new chair role at Isle Utilities. Elsewhere a new chief executive is unveiled at Xlinks First, while SMS, Low Carbon and the Association for Consultancy and Engineering Group (ACE) all reveal new hires.

Eon

Eon Group has announced a shakeup of its board, with new chief operating and financial officers taking the helm of their respective departments.

Marc Spieker, who has served as the company’s chief financial officer since 2017, will replace Patrick Lammers as chief operating officer commercial where he will be responsible for the customer solutions division.

Spieker, who joined Eon in 2002, has played a central role in shaping the organisation’s strategic development and the resulting business transformation.

Meanwhile Nadia Jakobi will take over the role of chief financial officer.

Jakobi is currently chair of the management board of Eon Energy Markets, the company’s energy optimisation and trading business.

She began her career at Eon in 2001 and returned to the company in 2019 after a three year stint at Uniper.

The changes to the board are to be implemented with effect from 1 June.

“It speaks to the strength and continuous development of Eon’s management team that we are able to draw on convincing leaders from within the company for the reorganisation of the management board”, said Erich Clementi, chair of the supervisory board.

He added: “After years of fundamental restructuring and successfully overcoming the energy crisis, Eon is facing a decisive phase of growth in the energy sector. The supervisory board is convinced that the management board team under the leadership of Leo Birnbaum and in its new constellation will successfully shape this new phase together.”

Isle Utilities

Former Southern Water chief executive Ian McAulay has been announced as the chair of technology consultancy Isle Utilities.

Ian McAulay

McAulay has extensive experience in the sector, having previously served as chief executive of Viridor and also as managing director, capital programmes at United Utilities. He announced his decision to step down from Southern in 2022 after taking the helm in 2016.

“With over 30 years of experience and a passion for technology and sustainability, Ian’s vision perfectly aligns with Isle’s mission to drive innovation in water and environmental sustainability,” the consultancy said.

SMS    

SMS, which installs and manages assets such as smart meters and battery energy storage systems, has appointed Patrick Sherriff as property director, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

He will be responsible for bolstering the charge point operator’s portfolio of strategic partnerships with UK landlords and property developers.

Patrick Sherriff

He joins SMS from Osprey Charging where he held the position of property director for over five years, as well as interim chief executive for the year prior.

Sherriff has more than 18 years’ experience working in the cleantech sector specialising in EV charging infrastructure and renewable energy.

“What attracted me to SMS is its clear heritage for delivering large-scale energy infrastructure projects and its free-from-complexity approach to the UK’s public EV charging rollout. This will be vital as we head closer to the UK government’s ban on petrol and diesel cars in 2035 and as the EV market continues to pick up the pace,” said Sherriff.

Low Carbon

Renewable energy company Low Carbon has announced the appointment of Annabel Wiscarson as chief executive of its Low Carbon Investment Management (LCIM) arm, beginning next month.

Annabel Wiscarson

Previously, Wiscarson led the investor relations group at Global Infrastructure Partners for five years.

Prior to this, she established and ran IFM Investors’ global relationship group in Europe after beginning her career at Macquarie.

Xlinks First

Former Shell executive James Humfrey has been appointed as the chief executive to lead Xlinks First’s Morocco – UK Power Project.

“With the anticipated growth of Xlinks’ portfolio, the Xlinks Morocco – UK Power Project now requires a dedicated CEO as it continues to progress its mission to provide a clean, affordable power supply to deliver economic and social benefits for both the UK and Morocco,” the company said.

James Humfrey

Humfrey has previously served as executive vice president for growth and industry at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), where he led capital project development and business development including the development of the new $25 billion Chemical Park in Ruwais.

Previously, he has held senior roles at Shell, with his last as senior vice president downstream M&A.

Humfrey said: “Joining Xlinks First as CEO is a fantastic opportunity to lead the first-of-its-kind Morocco – UK Power Project in achieving its goal to deliver a near constant, clean and affordable supply of electricity to the UK. This will play a key role in the Morocco and UK’s future prosperity.”

Association for Consultancy and Engineering Group (ACE)

Trade body the Association for Consultancy and Engineering Group (ACE) has appointed Kate Jennings as its new chief executive.

Kate Jennings

Jennings has previously served in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Transport where she led on EU and international transport policy. She also worked in a strategic leadership role at the Railway Industry Association and most recently as an executive board member at Logistics UK.

Commenting on her new role, Jennings said: “Nations around the world are prioritising infrastructure in the race to deliver net zero and green growth. The UK stands at a pivotal juncture, but there is a serious risk of falling behind.

“With a general election fast approaching and many ongoing industry challenges, I am delighted to be leading the ACE Group during this critical period for our members. Our objective is to ensure that every political voice understands the role our sector plays in contributing solutions that support sustainable growth and prosperity.”