On the Move: Thames completes shake-up of senior team

In our latest round-up of people moves across the sector, Thames Water completes its new-look executive team, Ovo hires a director of sustainability from Drax and Waterwise gets a new chair. Meanwhile, two key players in overseeing the establishment of the UK water industry’s Innovation Centre of Excellence are announced.

Thames Water

The water company has completed the overhaul of its senior team under new chief executive Sarah Bentley with Nevil Muncaster joining in the newly created role of strategic resources director.

He joins from Yorkshire Water where he has held several board positions including director of asset management and most recently chief strategy and regulation officer. He will start his new role at Thames Water in early September.

He will lead on the delivery of a several long-term projects, including the Thames Tideway tunnel and establishing major infrastructure changes to facilitate national water transfer and trading schemes.

Bentley said: “I’m excited to welcome Nevil to the team at a time when ensuring a robust supply of water for our customers in the coming years and decades is becoming ever more challenging.

“He brings with him a strong sense of purpose, deep sector expertise and vast experience of collaborating with stakeholders to deliver sustainable infrastructure solutions which enable communities and the environment to thrive, and this will be vital for us as we continue with our turnaround plan.”

Muncaster said: “I’m looking forward to getting started at Thames Water and am excited by the major infrastructure plans it’s developing. Projects like the super sewer and the strategic water resource schemes being developed with other water companies are key in making sure our industry can meet the needs of customers for decades to come and, through Thames’ net zero commitments we can ensure they’re delivered sustainably so the environment benefits as well.”

Muncaster’s appointment is the latest in a series at the top level of Thames, including Caroline Sheridan as engineering and asset director, Tony Vasishta as manging director of Ventures, Alastair Cochran as CFO, Warren Buckley as retail director, Cathryn Ross into a newly-created strategy and regulatory affairs director position and Francis Paonessa as capital delivery director.

Thames said this latest hire completes the make-up of its executive team.

Water Innovation Centre of Excellence

UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) has appointed Shaunna Berendsen as client programme director and Carly Perry as consultant executive lead to oversee the establishment of the UK water industry’s Innovation Centre of Excellence.

UKWIR is leading the sector’s efforts to establish a Centre of Excellence, which will act as an innovation accelerator hub, promoting collaboration within and beyond the sector to address the biggest challenges facing the water sector.

Berendsen is joining from Anglian Water, where she led the innovation engagement team. She was responsible for sustaining supplier engagement through the Anglian Water Shop Window. She is also a sustainability ambassador for the Major Projects Association.

Perry, who currently leads the water consultancy team at SIA partners and sits on the Future Water board, led the sector’s Open Data programme.

Berendsen said: “The UK Water sector is already collaborative and innovative, so having an organisation dedicated to simplifying, enabling, and fast-tracking that is a radical shift which will benefit the supply chain, utilities, and customers. I’m excited to be a part of such a transformational organisation and am keen we start delivering impact as soon as possible.”

Perry said: “The industry Innovation Strategy provides a centralised view of strategic priorities and a Centre of Excellence gives the sector an opportunity to supercharge collaboration and bring new ways of working to solve some of the biggest challenges. I’m thrilled to be working with the team to share my personal experience, as well as the wealth of sector and innovation understanding Sia Partners can bring.”

Ovo Energy

The large supplier has welcomed Dr Rebecca Heaton as its director of sustainability.

Heaton, the former group head of climate change at Drax and a member of the Climate Change Committee, will lead on the delivery of Ovo’s Plan Zero decarbonisation initiative. The plan commits to Ovo becoming a net zero carbon business and helping its customers to halve their total carbon footprints by 2030.

The company said Heaton would also “shape Ovo’s commercial initiatives in line with the UK’s climate change agenda, and amplify Ovo’s voice as a sustainability leader and zero carbon advocate”.

She will report into director of corporate affairs, Simon Maine, who joined Ovo last year.

He said: “Sustainability is absolutely central both to Ovo’s business plan and our wider reputation among society. Rebecca has developed incredible leadership on climate change policy and I very much look forward to bringing her wealth of experience into the Ovo Corporate Affairs team.”

Heaton said: “I’m excited to join Ovo Energy as the UK reaches such a critical point in its climate change agenda. Ovo is transforming the energy sector by decarbonising its members’ homes, and I join with a shared ambition which holds the environment at heart and keeps net zero firmly in sight.”

Centrica

Jill Dougan has been promoted to director of customer engagement and delivery at British Gas.

Formerly sales and marketing director at the Centrica-owned brand, Dougan started her career with Lloyds TSB, before joining strategy consultancy Rufus Leonard. She subsequently held senior marketing and product roles at American Express and Cardlytics.

Dougan joined British Gas from First Utility, where she was chief marketing officer.

Waterwise

Martin Bradbury has stepped down from his role as chairman of Waterwise after almost six years, to be replaced by Tania Flasck.

Flask is currently a non-executive director of British Water and director of water at consultancy Skewb.

Flasck said: “My passion for the environment and water started as a child and my career has luckily afforded me opportunities to live and work in water all over the world. Coupled with my other passion – people – this role brings it all together, to support Waterwise on the next steps of their journey. Water efficiency has never been more important in the face of climate and growth challenges.”