On the Move: Shake-up at SSE and Pelczer steps down as SES chair

The start of the new financial year has brought a flurry of moves and shakes across energy and water sectors including a new leadership structure at SSE Renewables, directorate change at Anglian, and SES Water’s chair stepping down after nine years.

SSE Renewables has created dedicated directorates for offshore and onshore Europe that will have full accountability for the development, construction and operation of SSE’s assets.

Following the restructure, the executive committee of SSE’s renewable energy subsidiary will be led by Stephen Wheeler as managing director and includes:

• Paul Cooley, director of offshore
• Alexandra Malone, director of corporate affairs
• Finlay McCutcheon, director of onshore Europe
• Barry O’Regan, director of finance
• Annant Shah, director of strategy & route to market
• Kate Wallace Lockhart, head of sustainability
• A director of business development is also being recruited

Meanwhile, Jeremy Pelczer has stepped down as chair of SES Water after nine years in the role with Dave Shemmans to take over the non-executive position.

Shemmans, former chief executive of Ricardo, has sat on the board of the water-only company since 2014 as a non-executive director with a wealth of management and consultancy experience. Pelczar had three consecutive three-year terms as chair, which he said he looks back on with “very fond memories and pride at what the Company has achieved in that time”.

Emily Timmins will join Anglian Water as director of water recycling from Severn Trent, where she was director of wastewater recycling. Timmins, who makes the move in July, will head up recycling operations and work closely with the newly formed quality and environment directorate. Peter Simpson, chief executive, said the new teams will drive forward work to outperform against Anglian’s environmental targets.

Rebecca Beresford has moved into a new position at EDF as director of net zero strategy & policy after three years focusing on retail market policy and regulation. Beresford has been with the retailer for 18 years in various roles across regulation, strategy and planning as well as most recently customers policy.

The Environment Agency has named Judith Batchelar as deputy chair from this month to March 2025. George Eustice confirmed Batchelar would replace Richard Macdonald, whose term ended on 31 March. Batchelar’s post follows her reappointment to the EA board in October 2021, she is also a member of the audit and risk assurance committee, the people and pay committee as well as chairing the environment and business committee.

Mark Jobson has left British Gas after five years to join consultancy group Kearney in the strategy, operations and digital division for energy transition and utilities. Jobson held several strategy roles at Centrica British Gas across consumer and regulatory divisions. Prior to British Gas, Jobson worked as a consultant in the PwC group. Most recently he was commercial lead for British Gas’ metering services and revenue protection team.

Renewable UK has elected Kerry Hayes as chair of its shadow board along with Alex Fowler as vice chair. Hayes works as wind project development manager at Simply Blue Group, policy engagement manager at Blue Gem Wind and is an associate lecturer at the University of Plymouth.

Connected Kerb, EV charging infrastructure provider, has appointed Good Energy founder and former chief executive Juliet Davenport as a non-executive director. Davenport has been deputy chair of the Renewable Energy Association for three years, as well as chairing Zap-Map since 2020 and spent three years as vice-president of the Energy Institute.

Ovo Energy’s head of finance Matthew Joyce has stepped down after seven years in the operations team. Joyce was involved in the growth of the company from 250,000 to more than four million customers and said he will take some time off before finding his next role in decarbonisation.

South West Water has named Carolyn Cadman as director of natural resources, a newly created role to deliver the organisation’s environmental plans. Cadman has been chief executive of Cornwall Wildlife Trust since 2018, deputy chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership and chair of the Cornwall Catchment Partnership. Cadman will be responsible for developing and delivering whole catchment plans and environmental policies to support the company’s work to protect rivers, increase biodiversity and tackle climate change.

Finally, members of South West Water’s parent company Pennon Group, which had its acquisition of Bristol Water cleared last month, join Bristol’s board. Gill Rider, Pennon company chair, Jonathan Butterworth and Claire Ighodaro, both non-executives at Pennon, will now sit on Bristol’s board.