On the move: Ofwat, CCW, Thames, Vattenfall, UK100

CCW has named Mike Keil as its interim chief executive officer from next month when Emma Clancy steps down.

Keil, who has been with the organisation since 2017 and is currently senior director for policy, research and campaigns, will assume the chief executive responsibilities while CCW finds a permanent replacement. Prior to CCW, Keil held numerous roles at Severn Trent related to climate change and resilience as well as asset management.

Clancy announced last month she is moving to Salix Finance, the delivery body for the government’s public sector decarbonisation scheme and the Low Carbon Skills Fund.

CCW’s chair Rob Light described Keil as an outstanding leader. He said: “He has a wealth of experience of the water sector and has been at the forefront of helping to transform CCW into an effective campaigning organisation. I know Mike will do a great job leading CCW over the next few months.”

Thames Water has named Esther Sharples as its new operations director for London joining the company from Transport for London where she was director of asset operations and asset performance delivery.

Previous operations director, Nevil Muncaster, has moved into the role of strategic partnerships director focusing on long-term water resource projects, commissioning of Tideway and delivering the future strategy for London.

Sharples is the first senior appointment since the departure of chief executive Sarah Bentley in June.

Interim co-chief executive and chief financial officer at Thames, Alistair Cochran, said: “It is vital that we continue to have a tailored regional strategy that meets our customers’ and communities’ specific needs and improves performance. I am therefore delighted to welcome Esther to lead our London operational team. She brings with her a wealth of experience in managing vast and complex infrastructure, which has been demonstrated during her time at TFL.”

UK100’s founder Polly Billington has been replaced as chief executive with Christopher Hammond to lead the cross-party group pushing climate action in communities.

Hammond served as the leader of Southampton City Council since 2018 and sat on the council since 2013 with experience serving on the sustainable living portfolio as well as air pollution and onshore power.

He said: “Climate action needs to get cheaper, faster and better, if we stand a realistic chance of meeting our national Net Zero targets. But despite warm words from Westminster and Whitehall, we’re not seeing the paradigm shift away from this centralised decision-making, to empowering local communities and their representatives to control the transition of their communities.”

Billington, who founded UK100 in 2016, stepped down earlier this year to focus on her campaign to become the next MP of East Thanet. She will join the UK100 board of trustees.

Vattenfall has named Jenny Curtis as managing director of tis heat business in the UK.

The role had been filled by interim managing directors Stuart Allison and Katja Raabe-Münzberg. Curtis has been wit the company for three years delivering a low-carbon heat network in Bristol as part of a joint venture with the council to decarbonise the city.

Vattenfall aims to partner with up to eight low carbon cities across the UK to deliver heat networks by 2030.

The heat team has established projects in Midlothian, Brent Cross and Bristol since it was formed six years ago. Curtis said: “District heating is still an immature market in the UK and whilst this comes with its challenges, Vattenfall have over 100 years of European expertise to draw on and from which to innovate for the future. The UK cannot reach net zero without the rapid deployment of large-scale heat networks and with our ambition and investment our heat networks will be a significant contribution.”

Mark Wiltsher has been named senior director of communications at Ofwat after the departure of Claire Forbes. Wiltsher joins the regulator from FTI Consultancy where he was senior director for energy. Prior to that Wiltsher spent 12 years at Ofgem as head of media and marketing as well as deputy director of communications. He left the energy regulator in 2021.

Forbes stepped down in June after nine years leading communications and engagement at Ofwat.

Energy management platform Zoa has made a flurry of appointments with two vice presidents and new board members. Crystal Hirschorn will be vice president of engineering, while Eloise Taysom has joined as VP of products.

Hirschorn will join in October from security technology platform provider Snyk and has worked across engineering, technology, media and publishing at Conde Nast, the BBC and Citizens Advice. Tayson brings experience from fintech, AI, engineering and emerging technologies.

Meanwhile, Sara Brooks and Tom Fraine have been appointed to Zoa’s board of directors. Brooks is Zoa’s chief revenue officer and Fraine is the company’s chief operating officer.